Oliver Blume, the CEO of Volkswagen, has announced that he does not intend to market electric cars for less than 20,000 euros.
The German car manufacturer Volkswagen has announced that it does not plan to market an electric car for less than 20,000 euros. This announcement was made by Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume in an interview with Bild Zeitung.
According to Oliver Blume, Volkswagen’s aim is to offer 25,000 euro electric cars by 2025, the Volkswagen ID.2, before cutting prices further. However, Volkswagen will not go below 20,000 euros.
This announcement is likely to disappoint many consumers who are eagerly awaiting an affordable electric car. However, it should be noted that the fall in electric car prices largely depends on production costs, which are still relatively high due to the cost of batteries and electronic components.
Software Priority
The CEO also underlined the importance of software technology for the development of electric cars and said that his group was working on a fast and responsive experience that will be available on Volkswagen models from 2024. In this regard, Peter Bosch, responsible for the production of Bentley, was appointed to the board of directors of Cariad, the software subsidiary of the Volkswagen group.
Software performance is also very important. In the models we will launch in 2024, navigation will work in seconds
Cariad encountered significant difficulties attributed to internal conflicts and an excessive workload, causing delays in the development of software platforms. These delays have in turn affected the roll-out of electric models at Porsche and Audi, with repercussions also for Volkswagen’s ID electric model range.
Recall that the launch of the Volkswagen ID.3 had been impacted by a major software problem, forcing the manufacturer to market the car with a restricted version of the software, unable to update remotely and without certain functionalities related to semi-driving. -autonomous.
VW intends to resist in China
Regarding VW’s position in China, where the company recently lost its leading position to local manufacturer BYD, Oliver Blume pointed out that VW continues to grow faster than the Chinese market. He stated : ” Our goal is to continue to be the strongest international automaker in the Chinese market.. (…) Last year, a quarter of all cars sold in China were electric vehicles. We expect this number to increase to 50% in the next 2-3 years. “.
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