VW Is Shifting Billions From EV Plans to Gas Car Development

VW isn’t the first major automaker to reassess the EV situation, joining Ford, GM, and Mercedes-Benz.

Legacy automakers are reevaluating their aggressive timelines to transition fully to electric vehicles (EVs). Volkswagen Group (VW) is the latest to reconsider its strategy, with CFO and COO Arno Antlitz confirming that a significant portion of their investment—about $64 billion, or one-third of their €180 billion budget—will still be directed towards internal combustion engines (ICE). Despite VW’s notable achievements in the EV market, including selling its 500,000th EV a year ahead of schedule, and CEO Thomas Shaefer’s dismissal of e-fuels, the company acknowledges that consumer adoption of EVs is progressing more slowly than anticipated.

Other major automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Mercedes-Benz have also adjusted their electrification strategies. Ford has paused EV-centric investments for its dealers, General Motors extended the timeline for its all-electric lineup to play out over decades instead of by 2035, and Mercedes-Benz emphasized a balanced approach with ICE, EV, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the short term. As VW’s Antlitz aptly put it, “The future is electric, but the past is not over,” highlighting the industry’s recognition that ICE technology will remain relevant while EV adoption continues to grow gradually.

Read the full article at thedrive.com »

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