For some time now, there has been great concern within Volkswagen about the negative dynamics of sales of its electric cars, which have led the brand to reduce the manufacturing rate of some of its plants. Now, VW’s sales director, Imelda Labbé, has added more reasons for concern that color a very complicated outlook for the brand.
According to Volkswagen management in statements to the newspaper Automobilwoche, last August they noticed a slight increase in orders. But this, as she indicates, has been a mirage resulting from the end of aid for electric company cars in Germany, which ended on August 31.
Industry experts now expect a drop in sales of Volkswagen’s electric cars. Something that Mrs. Labbé herself already anticipates, she has indicated that incoming orders from companies “ decreased significantly ” after the incentive bonus for those who are the main customers of their electric models expired.
According to the directive: “ This shows that we currently still need financial incentives through financing so that customers can decide on a BEV model and the transition to electromobility can be successful .”
Regarding Chinese manufacturers or Tesla’s impact in Europe, Labbé stated that competition “is becoming more intense .”
He has also indicated that for the moment, there will be no major price reductions at Volkswagen, however, the company assures that they are working intensively to reduce manufacturing costs, which will allow more affordable electric models in the medium and long term.
Work that focuses on aspects such as a standardized battery design, which can be purchased and used by all models, as well as reducing the cost of the cells themselves, which they hope will allow them to reduce costs by up to 50%.
But this will not happen until 2025 at the earliest when the new ID.2 arrives. Until then, Volkswagen will have to fight with its current family of electric cars, which are being surpassed by Tesla with its Model Y, which until September has been the best-selling electric car in the German market, with the Model 3 in seventh position and full renovation phase.
A situation that could worsen in the coming months, due to Tesla’s lower dependence on sales to companies, which could cause the difference to continue growing in favor of the Americans, and also with the corner of the eye watching the Chinese, in the middle of the installation phase in Europe.
