VW being rebranded as Voltswagen in US
Name change will apply to all VW electric vehicles; not expected to come to UK or mainland Europe
All Volkswagen electric vehicles will now be branded Voltswagen in the US and the company name will change from Volkswagen of America to Voltswagen of America.
The move comes as part of a rebranding exercise designed to emphasise the company’s all-electric future in America.
The change will be from May 2021 and is not an April Fools’ Day joke. It will include new brand guidelines and a redesign for Volkswagen’s website in the US.
“We might be changing out our 'K' for a 'T', but what we aren't changing is this brand’s commitment to making best-in-class vehicles for drivers and people everywhere,” said Scott Keogh, president and CEO of Voltswagen of America. “The idea of a ‘people’s car’ is the very fabric of our being. We have said, from the beginning of our shift to an electric future, that we will build EVs for the millions, not just millionaires.”
Voltswagen will run as an exterior badge on every electric VW, whereas ICE cars will stick with the current VW emblem. Further differentiation will be reflected in the colour scheme: on electric cars, the lettering will be displayed on a light blue background, but ICE cars will retain the existing logo against a dark blue backdrop.
A spokesperson for VW UK said there is no plan to change the name in the UK, where cars will continue to follow the Volkswagen ID nomenclature, currently being used on the recent ID 3 and ID 4.
VW UK did use 'Voltswagen' for a social media campaign last year, but that’s as far as the exercise will go on these shores.
The US decision comes off the back of considerable investment in electric vehicles from the German manufacturer. Boss Ralf Brandstätter confirmed recently that the firm is planning to launch at least one new EV per year and has pledged that more than 70% of its cars sold in Europe will be fully electric by 2030 and more than 50% will be EVs in China and the US.
In addition, VW has committed to investing £13 billion in digital systems and autonomous technology. It’s also planning an ambitious roll-out of EV battery plants, six of which will be located in Europe.
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