All articles tagged with #volkswagen
Porsche has officially confirmed it is developing a new mid-engined super sports car platform to replace the 918 Spyder, signaling a return to the hypercar segment. This announcement coincides with a major corporate restructuring, including a 25% workforce reduction and a pivot toward high-margin luxury models, as the company seeks to recover from a sharp decline in profits and sales.
Porsche announced a major restructuring plan on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, to cut 25% of its workforce and reduce its China presence after its profit margin collapsed to 1.1% last year from 18% two years prior. The move, led by CEO Michael Leiters, aims to shift the brand toward higher-priced, lower-volume sports cars and SUVs to stabilize its parent company, Volkswagen.
Volkswagen will replace the ID.4 and ID.5 with the ID. Tiguan in early 2027. The new electric SUV aims to improve range, charging, and cold-weather performance while adding physical buttons and a more traditional design.
Volkswagen is replacing its ID.4 electric crossover with the ID.Tiguan, a move designed to leverage a more recognizable brand name for its electric lineup. The new model, expected in Europe in early 2027 and the US later, retains the ID.4’s core platform but addresses previous criticisms by adding physical controls and improving range and charging capabilities. While the ID.4 sold 950,000 units since 2021, it struggled against rivals like the Kia EV6 due to inferior range and charging speeds. The ID.Tiguan aims to correct these shortcomings while maintaining the comfort and practicality that made the ID.4 a success.
Volkswagen Group is recalling 2.86 million vehicles worldwide, including 208,000 in the U.S., to replace a corroding bolt that could cause steering failure. The issue affects models produced between 2013 and 2024, with no reported injuries. Free repairs are available at dealerships.
Volkswagen Group is recalling 2.86 million Audi and Volkswagen vehicles worldwide due to a potential steering failure caused by a corroding bolt. The issue affects models produced between 2013 and 2024, including the Audi Q3, VW Golf, Tiguan, and Atlas. No injuries have been reported, and free repairs are available at authorized dealers.
Volkswagen has delayed the return of the ID Buzz electric van to the U.S. market until the first half of 2027, making it a 2028 model year vehicle. This marks the second consecutive model year skip for the brand in the U.S. The delay follows weak sales, high import tariffs, and the loss of federal tax credits. The 2028 model will include updated software, vehicle-to-load functionality, and digital key integration.
Volkswagen has delayed the U.S. return of its ID Buzz electric van to the first half of 2027, making it a 2028 model year vehicle. This marks the second consecutive model year skip for the brand in the U.S. market. The delay follows a troubled launch in late 2024, which was hampered by high import tariffs, two recalls, and the loss of the federal EV tax credit. While the vehicle will feature updated software and digital key integration upon its return, sales have been weak, with only 2,481 units sold in the first half of 2026.
Volkswagen trimmed its 2024 operating margin to about 1% after a Porsche impairment and a tougher market, prompting a profit warning and its removal from the Euro Stoxx 50; Deutsche Bank argues the downgrade overstates the deterioration, noting underlying margins around 4% and cash generation intact as VW carries out a 100,000-job restructuring, while Nokia steps in to the index amid AI-driven growth.
Volkswagen Group warns of profound market changes and slashes its operating margin forecast from four percent to one percent, signaling wide-reaching cost cuts that could total up to 100,000 layoffs across brands. A gradual phase-out of the SEAT brand is under consideration, and the group plans to reduce model variety by up to 75% and the number of available models by up to 50%, potentially shuttering or repurposing plants. Porsche denies plans for 4,100 extra layoffs, while VW shifts toward a leaner, simpler portfolio in response to weaker demand in China and profitability pressures from EVs.
Volkswagen's Mission Efficiency, a near-production two-seat EV, claims the world’s lowest drag coefficient for a road-legal car (0.158) and a record 6.48 kWh/100 km at 68 km/h; VW also reports a 1,278 km Wolfsburg–Vienna trip on a single charge with 164 km of range left, aided by aero-focused design (teardrop shape, full underbody, wheel covers) and lightweight components, plus a solar roof. The takeaway is that aero efficiency here is as much a design challenge as a hardware race, and it highlights broader industry push for slipperier EVs.
Volkswagen's Mission Efficiency concept, built on the MEB+ platform with the ID. Polo’s motor and a 54.9 kWh net battery, achieves a 0.158 drag coefficient and extreme aerodynamics to deliver 1,278 km (794 miles) on a single charge at about 42 mph, leaving about 164 km (102 miles) of range. It records 6.89 kWh/100 km without charging losses (7.51 kWh/100 km including losses). The car features extensive aero work (covered rear wheels, wheel deflectors, rear tail), a solar roof, lightweight interior, and practical storage, aiming for efficiency rather than immediate production. VW notes no production version is confirmed; charging supports up to 105 kW DC and 11 kW AC, with solar potentially adding up to ~30 km per day in ideal conditions.
VW teases the Mission Efficiency, a teardrop-shaped EV concept inspired by the XL1, set for a record-setting Wolfsburg-to-Vienna journey; production plans remain unclear, with hints it could achieve ultra-long range on a very small battery or exceptionally high efficiency.
Volkswagen said it will sell its Osnabrück car plant to the State of Lower Saxony and Tel Aviv‑based Aurelius Capital to convert the site into defense production, with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems tied to the project. The plan could lead to the manufacture of air‑defense components for Germany and Europe and would preserve about 1,400 of the plant’s 1,800 jobs as VW reorganizes under its Future Plan 2030, while four other German plants face possible closures; the deal still requires regulatory approval amid Europe’s push to bolster defense spending.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will begin manufacturing Iron Dome components at Volkswagen’s Osnabrück plant from 2027, in a deal with Aurelius Capital and the Lower Saxony government that will purchase the site from VW. The plant, which currently builds Cabrio versions of VW's T-Roc, will produce launchers, trucks and other support components for Iron Dome; the interceptors themselves will not be made there. About 2,300 workers are protected under the arrangement, with VW exiting the site as part of its restructuring. The sale, reportedly around €200 million, has faced opposition from Qatar's investment authority.