Volkswagen news and facts

The Volkswagen Group successfully continued its transition to electric mobility in the first quarter of 2023. By the end of March, deliveries of all-electric vehicles (BEVs) have risen by 42 percent compared to the prior-year period, which was hit harder by supply chain issues. A total of 141,000 BEVs were handed over to customers, up from 99,200 in the first quarter of 2022. BEVs made up 6.9 percent of total deliveries in this period, compared with 5.2 percent in the first three months of the previous year. Europe was the biggest growth driver here with an increase of 68 percent to 98,300 vehicles. The BEV order backlog in Western Europe remains high at over 260,000 vehicles.

The Volkswagen Group is systematically expanding its development expertise ‘in China for China’. The company is investing around EUR 1 billion in a new state-of-the-art development, innovation, and procurement centre for fully connected intelligent electric vehicles in the southern Chinese city of Hefei. The announcement was made today by the Volkswagen Group at the Shanghai Auto Show. The new company, with the project name ‘100%TechCo’, combines vehicles and components R&D teams with purchasing. This will leverage synergies in the development process and integrate state-of-the-art local technologies into product development at an early stage. The aim is to align the Group’s vehicles even more quickly with the wishes of Chinese customers and to achieve shorter time to market. With the launch of 100%TechCo in 2024, the development times of new products and technologies will be gradually shortened by around 30 percent.

Volkswagen now presents the new ID.7, the brand’s first global electric model for the upper mid-size class. The combination of ranges up to 700 kilometres (WLTP), superior powertrain, spacious interior and premium technologies makes the ID.7 a comfortable limousine for long distance travel and opens up a new segment for the ID. family. Almost five metres long, the model also has an enhanced customer-focused operating concept and a high-quality appearance. The ID.7 launch is planned for this year in Europe and China, and from 2024 in North America.

Elli, the market leader among Europe’s charging network providers with 500,000 charging stations, has become the first company to achieve an important milestone in accessing the charging infrastructure. In the last four months alone, the Volkswagen Group’s charging and mobility brand has added 100,000 charging points to its network. Elli gives customers a comfortable, cross-border charging experience, providing access to some 950 providers in 28 countries. A close-knit, reliable charging network and easy-to-use charging stations are the key to e-mobility. They allow drivers to use their electric vehicle without range anxiety.

The brands of the Volkswagen Group have joined the Leather Working Group (LWG). The Group seeks to play a leading role in the auto industry in terms of responsible raw material procurement, and becoming a member of LWG is a further milestone on the way to achieving greater sustainability throughout the entire value chain.

“The Volkswagen Group is assuming responsibility for sustainable and transparent supply chains. Becoming a member of the LWG is an important step. The organization’s expertise will help us become even more sustainable in our use of leather,” said Dirk Große-Loheide, Member of the Brand Board of Management of Volkswagen responsible for Procurement and member of the Extended Executive Committee.

The anticipation is building: this coming Monday, 17 April, the new ID.7 will simultaneously celebrate its world premiere in Europe, China and the USA. Almost five metres long and with a new efficient drive, long ranges and premium technologies, the ID.7 is positioned at the top end of the upper mid-size class. Following the new ID.3 and the compact ID. 2all concept vehicle, the comfortable limousine for long distance travel is the third electric vehicle presented by Volkswagen this year. They all belong to the total of ten new ID. models that Volkswagen will launch by 2026 – in Europe, as well as in other global regions such as the USA and China.

The next electric drive generation for the ID. family is now being launched. With the new APP550 rear-wheel drive, Volkswagen’s electric model family will receive a completely newly developed power unit. In future, this will offer higher performance combined with improved efficiency for the ID. models. The ID. family will therefore benefit both in terms of power and increased range. Volkswagen is planning to deliver the first vehicles with the new drive generation in a 210 kW (286 PS) version from the end of the year.

The countdown to the launch of the new ID.7 has started: the world premiere of the new all-electric ID. flagship model will take place on Monday, 17 April. Just under two weeks before this date, Volkswagen is now providing further details on the drive, running gear and convenience features of the saloon designed for long-distance driving. The new ID.7 will enhance the upper mid-size class in Europe, China and North America. Volkswagen plans to increase the share of its electric models to 80 per cent in Europe by 2030. The new ID.7 is an important milestone on this path, as it is scheduled to be launched in Europe before the end of 2023.

Volkswagen will make its return to the Techno Classica this year. The world’s largest classic car fair will be an opportunity for Volkswagen Classic to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Passat using the slogan “Immer wieder neu” (“Always reinventing itself”). The year 1973 saw the launch of the Passat, a brand new model family equipped with a water-cooled engine. It was the start of a global success story that continues to this day. To mark this milestone, five specially selected Passat exhibits will be on show in Essen.

Volkswagen is making the all-electric ID. family even more sustainable – including the choice of materials for the interior. During the course of this year, the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.7 will receive selected innovations that were first used in mass production in the ID. Buzz. As one example of this, VW uses Seaqual® yarn as a seat cover material. This is made from 10 per cent collected marine debris and 90 per cent recycled PES yarn. The CO2 emissions from production are almost one third lower than for conventional cover materials.

With the second-generation of the ID.3, Volkswagen is continuing the success story of its ID. family. Two and a half years after the launch of the first generation, the all-electric bestseller is now coming to the market with a comprehensive upgrade. Alongside the latest software with all convenience and assist systems, the vehicle impresses above all with its newly sharpened exterior and the refined interior design. New colors, such as Dark Olivine Green, create a fresh new look, while the overall appearance is rounded off by the use of top-quality, animal-free and sustainable materials.

• ID. 2all shows the new Volkswagen design language, presentation of the production version in 2025
• Premium innovations such as Travel Assist, IQ.LIGHT or Electric Vehicle Route Planner
• Acceleration of the electric offensive: ten new models by 2026
• Range of up to 450 km, as spacious as a Golf, as affordable as a Polo
• Production version will be based on the new MEB Entry platform