Volkswagen's Golf EV might come out earlier than expected

Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Performance and GTX (Photo: Volkswagen)

Volkswagen's partnership with Rivian might bring the much-anticipated electric VW Golf to market sooner than expected. The German carmaker will reportedly launch the Golf EV to market in 2029, or even sooner, as its first electric vehicle based on its software-define Scalable Systems Platform.

Volkswagen expects its new joint venture with Rivian to pay dividends. It plans to invest up to US$5 billion, with US$3 billion going to Rivian and $2 billion going into the venture. According to reports, it will upgrade Volkswagen's Modular electric drive matrix (MEB) platform to MEB+ in 2026. These moves can help ensure the Golf EV comes out sooner.

Click to read more ...

VW and its brands embrace Tesla’s NACS for EV charging

Photo: Volkswagen

Volkswagen and its subsidiaries Audi, Porsche, and Scout Motors are joining the growing list of automakers that support Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) for electric vehicles (EVs). Starting in 2025, their EVs will be compatible with both Tesla’s Supercharger network, which has over 15,000 stations, and Electrify America and Canada’s 3,800 DC fast charging outlets. They are also exploring ways to retrofit existing models with NACS adapters.

Tesla’s charging solution is becoming the dominant choice for EVs in North America, as GM, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes, Honda, BMW, Lucid, and others have also committed to using the NACS soon. ChargePoint and Electrify America are also adding NACS connectors to their EV charging stations by 2025.

Source

Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz electric van for North America is bigger and more powerful

Photo: Volkswagen

Volkswagen has finally unveiled the version of the ID.Buzz electric van designed for North America. And it’s not just a modern Microbus. The three-row design with two extra seats is ideal for road trips and large families, but it also has some upgrades over the two-row model.

The North American ID.Buzz has a larger 91kWh battery (versus 82kWh), a more powerful 282hp motor (versus 201hp) for the rear-wheel drive trim, and a higher 99mph (versus 90mph) top speed. It also offers an optional all-wheel drive configuration with a 330hp dual-motor system. 

Click to read more ...

Volkswagen Canada, Electrify Canada to offer three-year unlimited charging to new all-electric 2021 VW ID.4

Source: Volkswagen Canada and Electrify Canada

Volkswagen Canada partners with Electrify Canada to offer new owners of Volkswagen's all-electric 2021 VW ID.4 to offer three years of unlimited, complimentary charging at several Electrify Canada stations in the country. These charging stations use 150kW and 350kW chargers, allowing users to charge their electric vehicles from five percent to 80 percent in around 38 minutes.

Electrify Canada recently announced plans to expand its 27 stations to over 100 stations with 500 individual chargers across the country by 2025.