A VW representative has categorically stated that the company won’t make a Beetle on the MEB platform. The assertion follows other denials from Volkswagen, but counters rumors that spread on the internet.
Specifically, when asked by MotorTrend if a Beetle was in product planning, VW’s CEO Herbert Diess said:
“No. You have to do something emotional, but I think we can’t cover the historic lineup of Volkswagen with electric cars, and we shouldn’t.”
Volkswagen’s former North American CEO said much the same thing in September, telling Reuters that there were no plans to replace the Beetle upon the announcement of its discontinuation.
The lack of an electric Beetle is frustrating to its fans because the MEB’s drivetrain layout–rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive–is very similar to the original Type 1’s.
Sadly, Diess reaffirmed that the US wouldn’t even be getting the small, I.D. Hatchback either. That EV will be the company’s first production vehicle on the MEB platform. It is set to debut in Europe this fall.
Instead, we will be getting the I.D. Crozz first, which is a roughly Tiguan-sized crossover.
Instead of the Beetle, Volkswagen is mining its past to definitely make the I.D. Buzz and probably make the I.D. Buggy.
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