VW Regains Faith In PHEVs As EV Demand Is Levelling Off

The new Volkswagen Passat, the new Volkswagen Tiguan, and the updated Volkswagen Golf all have a new plug-in hybrid powertrain. A large battery pack enables them to drive more than 100 kilometres electrically. According to Volkswagen CEO Schäfer (of the passenger car brand, not the group), the cars are coming at exactly the right time. When asked about the future of hybrids, he says: “If you had asked me the same question last year, I would have said it is smart to forget about hybrids. It is an expensive technology that is not worth the effort. However, in the last six months, everything has changed, and now everyone wants hybrids again.”

Schäfer’s observation does not come entirely out of the blue, because the demand for fully electric cars does indeed appear to be stagnating in various places. Schäfer does not deny that the plug-in hybrid is a temporary solution: “It is a bridging technology. However, now that the demand for fully electric cars is currently stagnating, we do need that transitional technology.”