Volkkswagen’s fake embrace of pursuing a well thought out electric car strategy looks utterly weird as the company continues to sell petrol and diesel cars. And we know that behind closed doors, away from the scripted and well rehearsed press releases, VW executives have been privately lobbying governments for the continuation of petrol and diesel car sales, perhaps for perpetuity. And this means the new generation of VW’s electric car offensive is merely window dressing, lipstick on a pig. This image problem exists with all legacy car manufactures. But we here at DCBHQ target VW because they were the cheerleaders for so-called ‘clean’ diesel. And they acted with deliberate criminal negligence when they claimed their diesel engine technology was the cleanest in the world whne they knew otherwise. Such logic is no different than President Donald Trump saying America produces “beautiful clean coal”.
Because VW executives are highly educated and able to present themselves as earnest and honest, their ridiculous verbatim was consumed by the motoring media like honey. After the ashes of Dieselgate cleared, Volkswagen’s laboured switch to pure electric cars was mandated to it by the German government because of the criminality exposed by Dieselgate. And VW’s slow march to pure electrification continues with the VW ID5, it’s an SUV Coupe version of the ID4.
When the ID5 arrives it will offer almost, but not quite, the same electric powertrains, interior and equipment levels as the ID4 SUV. Externally it just looks slightly different due to the rear sloping roofline. The ID5 will only be available with a 77kWh battery, because it’s a way of keeping costs down. That being said, starting prices for the ID5 are expected to be in the region of £47,000. But it is interesting how the media can overlook VW’s past Dieselgate criminality and carry on as if nothing happened.
And yet VW continues to sell petrol and diesel cars while apparently wanting to heal the world with its pure electric car product portfolio. The two do not gel, it’s like a smoker telling everyone to quit smoking tobacco while he’s smoking a cigarette. This is why VW’s electric car strategy is weird and strange.
