Tag Archives: Volkswagen

Fisker sold more EVs than VW

In June, the American company Fisker declared bankruptcy, and in October it went into liquidation. However, miracles are possible. Recent data shows that Fisker sold more vehicles in October than the German automaker VW.

So how did that happen? After the bankruptcy was declared, the Fisker car sale began. A judge approved the company’s plan to sell approximately 3,000 unsold Ocean electric crossovers, which allowed Fisker to sell 110 cars in October. Most of the vehicles were bought by the leasing company American Lease (New York), while the remaining cars were sold by dealers at high discounts.

In October, Fiat sold 135 EVs, while Volkswagen sold only 92 EVs. This is the result of bad decisions by the German manufacturer, which offers only two EV models on the American market, the ID.4 and the ID.Buzz. Problems with electronic door locks also contributed to the poor sales, which caused the recall of almost 100,000 ID.4 units.

Globally, Volkswagen is not doing well. The German car industry is in a major crisis, and rising costs and frequent employee strikes have forced Volkswagen to start laying off workers and moving production of some models to other continents.

A few days ago, it was confirmed that VW will move production of the Golf Mk8 to Mexico, and that 35,000 employees will lose their jobs by 2030 as a result of an agreement with the IG Metall union. Volkswagen says that the agreement combines job security, financial stability and a leading technological position in the field of sustainable mobility. They also said that the savings of more than 15 billion euros per year will help future investments until the end of the decade.

Source: S&P Global Mobility

The VW VR6 engine has come to an end

The VR6 engine debuted at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show in the third-generation Golf and has since been installed in 1.87 million cars. 34 years later, it has come to an end. This was confirmed by Andreas G. Schleith, PR manager for Volkswagen passenger cars on his LinkedIn profile.

Over time, the VR6 engine has powered numerous models, including the Passat, Corrado, Touareg, Phaeton, Transporter, Sharan, CC or Beetle, but also cars from other brands in the Volkswagen Group such as the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, Seat Leon and Škoda Superb. Even Mercedes-Benz has used this engine in its Vito model, with certain modifications.

Since 2010, the VR6 engine has only powered cars produced for the North American and Chinese markets, as it has stopped being installed in new cars in Europe due to stricter environmental standards.

Source: Andreas G. Schleith via LinkedIn

VW Moves Golf Production to Mexico

The current Golf Mk 8 with combustion engine will be sold until 2035, while the new Golf ID will arrive in 2028 on a new platform. This model will replace the Golf with combustion engine that is currently produced in Wolfsburg, and the latest information says that the Wolfsburg-based company is considering moving the production of this model to Mexico.

There is no confirmation from Volkswagen for now, and most of the talk is about Volkswagen’s largest plant in Mexico (Puebla) where one of the most famous models of the German automotive industry, the VW Beetle, was produced.

The European market has become more selective, and buyers are increasingly opting for SUVs, while once popular models like the Golf are no longer the first option. This creates additional pressure on the already difficult financial situation of European manufacturers, and moving production outside of European soil seems like a better option.

This also creates an additional problem that VW will have if the US imposes additional tariffs of 20%, which the new US president has promised.

Source: Reuters