- Volkswagen has delayed the electric Golf’s debut to the end of the decade.
- VW’s CEO said the automaker doesn’t need the electric hatchback sooner than 2028, as originally planned.
- The company has a solid lineup, Thomas Schafer said.
The electric Volkswagen Golf has been delayed to the end of the decade, the automaker’s CEO confirmed at FT’s Future of the Car event in London yesterday, according to Autocar.
The battery-powered hatchback was originally planned to debut in 2028, based on the Volkswagen Group’s new SSP platform, which is being developed in collaboration with Rivian. Now, though, the German brand’s head honcho has also hinted that the new platform is also being delayed once again.
“We have a fantastic line-up now that we do not need an electric Golf in 2028”, said Schafer. “We are well set with what we have in our portfolio with our vehicles.”
The news is not exactly a surprise, though. Earlier this year, Volkswagen facelifted the ID.3 electric hatchback, which is roughly the same size as the current-generation Golf, renaming it ID.3 Neo. If the legacy automaker’s de facto four-year model lifespan stays strong, then the Golf EV will likely debut sometime in 2030.
The refreshed Volkswagen ID.3 Neo debuted recently in Europe. It will likely remain on sale until 2030, making the electric Golf redundant until then.
Photo by: Volkswagen
Besides the refreshed ID.3 Neo, Volkswagen has already introduced the ID. Polo and is gearing up for the launch of the ID. Cross. A smaller ID.1 is expected to join the lineup next year, going head-to-head with cars like the Renault Twingo and Kia’s upcoming EV1.
Getting back to the SSP platform, Schafer said that the first vehicles to use it will come from Audi, then Porsche, then Volkswagen. That said, Porsche was supposed to use the SSP platform for its upcoming flagship SUV, but the marque ultimately dropped that idea, going for the gas-first Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture.
When asked why the SSP platform is taking its sweet time, Schafer said Volkswagen is looking at scale, because otherwise “you’ll never make margin parity.” The increased competition from Chinese brands has also forced the car group to “redo the math” related to the platform’s materials and investment.
When the Golf EV eventually debuts, it will be built at Volkswagen’s German factory in Wolfsburg, while assembly of the heavily revised gas-powered model will move to Mexico.