Original article here: https://web.archive.org/web/20210330140959if_/https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/30/22357166/volkswagen-name-change-voltswagen-us-division Updated article is incredibly pissed...
Updated article is incredibly pissed off, I'll bet someone in PR is having a bad hair day
Volkswagen of America lied about rebranding to “Voltswagen” in an effort to draw attention to the lone electric vehicle it’s currently selling in the United States
The automaker, which pleaded guilty to deceiving regulators about the true pollution levels of hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles
“66 is an unusual age to change your name.” That’s a nod to the age of the American subsidiary — not the larger Volkswagen Group, which was founded in the 1930s before it became part of the Nazi war machine.
the company was caught installing software on its vehicles that was meant to fool regulators into allowing dirty cars on the road.
But now we know the rebrand was nothing more than another lie from a company that’s become known for something else: lying.
Whhaaatt the hell, LOL. I don't know why they thought this was the way to do an April Fool's gag, but doubling down on it not being a gag only to come out and say it is, isn't it. EDIT: I almost...
Whhaaatt the hell, LOL. I don't know why they thought this was the way to do an April Fool's gag, but doubling down on it not being a gag only to come out and say it is, isn't it.
EDIT: I almost wonder if it was serious, but was so poorly received they decided to act like it was a joke.
More important, though, they should actually change the name! They created billions of dollars of shareholder value, briefly, through a prank. It wasn’t securities fraud, it wasn’t even a joke, it was research. It was A/B testing. Volkswagen discovered that, with a better name, it would be worth more money, and it discovered what that better name was. Then it chickened out and went back to its old name. That’s not what Elon Musk would do.
This is the first thing I thought when I read the headline. If Car companies want to sell us on electric cars, why don’t they, I don’t know, actually sell us electric cars? This is especially bad...
But while the company is pouring tons of money into this push into EVs, there is currently only one long-range electric Volkswagen for sale in the United States: the ID 4 SUV.
This is the first thing I thought when I read the headline. If Car companies want to sell us on electric cars, why don’t they, I don’t know, actually sell us electric cars?
This is especially bad for Volkswagen because not too long ago I was actually attempting to buy that aforementioned single electric car model, brand new, and in spite of there being what feels like hundreds of car dealers in my extended area, there were none in stock anywhere.
With marketing and manufacturing being so far off from each other, I seriously wonder if Volkswagen is in some kind of internal trouble with their management.
I think it's more likely just a momentum issue. Once a company really starts to get behind electric cars it can take 3-5 years to really get going from a manufacturing perspective. But that...
I think it's more likely just a momentum issue. Once a company really starts to get behind electric cars it can take 3-5 years to really get going from a manufacturing perspective. But that turnaround is much shorter for marketing. So optimistically Voltswagon will slowly have more to show over the next couple years.
To be fair, I'm also completely aware that in this particular situation it may simply be that the dealers themselves aren't completely on board with selling electric cars. I remember hearing the...
To be fair, I'm also completely aware that in this particular situation it may simply be that the dealers themselves aren't completely on board with selling electric cars. I remember hearing the same issue with Nissan dealers who didn't like selling the Leaf so they'd try to switch buyers to the conventional cars because the salespeople were more confident selling them.
Speaking of trying to buy an electric car. I've been starting to explore options. Where I live there's a Tesla dealership (or workshop or whatever they call them) near me, so at some point I'll...
Speaking of trying to buy an electric car. I've been starting to explore options. Where I live there's a Tesla dealership (or workshop or whatever they call them) near me, so at some point I'll probably do a test drive with them, but I'm not sure I want a Tesla.
I've been looking at other manufacturers ell EVs and any time I try to find local stock it's all dealerships 100+ miles away. I don't understand why the dealerships next door to the Tesla wouldn't consider even just keeping 1 EV in stock to try to get customers through the door.
I don't know if dealerships still do "extended test drives" (or if Tesla does them at all), but if not I suggest renting one for a day where you go on a road trip or have plans running around with...
Where I live there's a Tesla dealership (or workshop or whatever they call them) near me, so at some point I'll probably do a test drive with them, but I'm not sure I want a Tesla.
I don't know if dealerships still do "extended test drives" (or if Tesla does them at all), but if not I suggest renting one for a day where you go on a road trip or have plans running around with errands all day, or rent for a full weekend where you make it a point to drive often to get a real impression of it.
I've been looking at other manufacturers ell EVs and any time I try to find local stock it's all dealerships 100+ miles away. I don't understand why the dealerships next door to the Tesla wouldn't consider even just keeping 1 EV in stock to try to get customers through the door.
As for keeping an EV in stock, dealers don't frequently get the option to say what is and isn't sent to their lot. Especially if it's a lower volume product. Every dealership clamors to have as many (ugh...) SUVs and pickups on their lots as they sell quickly, but if something actually desirable comes along like a hopped up sports car, halo car, high margin package, etc. that has a limited run they'll have to deal with the fact that the manufacturer doesn't think their dealership can handle it (be it service department untrained on that model, not high profile enough, area demographics, and so on) and/or will have to take some filler cars (typically underdeveloped econoboxes that sit on lots for months at a time) to go with the desired car.
I went and looked at a Ford Mach-E over the weekend. I think it's inferior to Tesla still, but I think it's a close competitor. Have you looked for one of those yet? The sales guy I talked to...
I went and looked at a Ford Mach-E over the weekend. I think it's inferior to Tesla still, but I think it's a close competitor. Have you looked for one of those yet? The sales guy I talked to mentioned that vehicle was for display and test drives only; if you wanted one you order it through their website.
The iD4 looks to have some issues currently, though many of them could be solved with over the air updates. As an EV driver for the past 2 years, I couldn't imagine not having one pedal driving on an EV. I am definitely looking forward to more EV options and I'm glad to see more on the road. As the Mach-E and the ID3 and 4 are the first real EV offerings from their respective companies, I would expect a lot of refinement in their next designs.
Cute name (and all too common people seem to misspell it Voltswagen in ads anyway) even if I think it's far too premature based on their current offerings. Had to do a double take upon seeing the...
Cute name (and all too common people seem to misspell it Voltswagen in ads anyway) even if I think it's far too premature based on their current offerings. Had to do a double take upon seeing the "effective May 2021" line as I still forget it's not 2020 and my initial thought was "eh, a year to implement it gives them a chance to announce many new electric models).
That said, I wouldn't touch a VW electric car with a ten foot pole. Between myself and the guys we've owned three MK3 Jettas/Golfs, two MK4 Jettas/Golfs, a MK5 Golf, two MK6 Jettas/Golfs, and a MK6 Passat - Every. Single. One. had electrical issues. I like their engines and drivetrains, the 1.8T is a wonderful engine, the VR6 sounds amazing and delivers more than its ratings would let you believe. I liked their styling before it became amorphous blobs and their build quality is quite nice, but decades of inability to make reliable electronics and electrical systems makes their electrical cars a hard no from me for at least the first 10-15 years.
That said...
I'm still a sucker for the Scirocco/Corrado and actively search for a W12 Phaeton even if it means I'll have to destroy all the luxury that Piëch demanded in order to make it reliably perform to my standards.
My beetle has the same electrical problems. They just love love love to find new ways to drain the battery overnight. I'm thinking of installing a kill switch. If they had a cheap electric beetle...
My beetle has the same electrical problems. They just love love love to find new ways to drain the battery overnight. I'm thinking of installing a kill switch.
If they had a cheap electric beetle I might think about it once I know it's no lemon. I do love watching children all around me erupt into random violence while I'm driving. I can't really get that experience with another brand. :P
They should bring back the damn bus. Why not build it out as a mobile apartment for one?
Apparently they are bringing back the bus? I know I've seen ads for an EV version, I think it's called the buzz maybe? I also think I've been seeing articles about it for a few years now though,...
Apparently they are bringing back the bus? I know I've seen ads for an EV version, I think it's called the buzz maybe? I also think I've been seeing articles about it for a few years now though, so who knows if it'll happen.
The Voltswagen Buzz is official for 2024 model year, but there have been at least three previous concepts for it from 2001, 2011, and 2016 (and I could have sworn I've seen more than just those...
The Voltswagen Buzz is official for 2024 model year, but there have been at least three previous concepts for it from 2001, 2011, and 2016 (and I could have sworn I've seen more than just those three).
The 2024 looks okay I guess, but the photos are still of the concept so expect many changes. I get they're going with a light and airy aesthetic (or just blown out images), but insisting on having gray tires that don't exist in real life is certainly a choice.
There's the typical concept car theme of no exterior door handles or gauge cluster, and a steering wheel that isn't round (and is missing an airbag), so expect those to be fixed.
The pedals are a smooth, polished metal in addition to being shifted way too far to the right of the footwell, so those are going bye-bye.
Touch sensitive controls in the steering wheel aren't going to pass muster, nor is the expectation of a $40k-50k+ van that tells you to also buy an iPad.
White accent lights along the dash pointed right at the driver's eyes? Nope.
Steering wheel that retracts into the (again airbag-less) dash? Nope.
One piece, single fabric sheet, completely flat, zero lumbar or side bolster seats? Nope.
Front seats that rotate to face the rear? Doubtful.
Center console that slides to the front or back? Again, doubtful.
Side doors that block the charging port? It's VW, so probably will keep that one.
Uh... WSJ is now reporting that this is an April Fool's joke despite the North American division confirming to multiple news outlets that it wasn't.
Original article here: https://web.archive.org/web/20210330140959if_/https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/30/22357166/volkswagen-name-change-voltswagen-us-division
Updated article is incredibly pissed off, I'll bet someone in PR is having a bad hair day
Whhaaatt the hell, LOL. I don't know why they thought this was the way to do an April Fool's gag, but doubling down on it not being a gag only to come out and say it is, isn't it.
EDIT: I almost wonder if it was serious, but was so poorly received they decided to act like it was a joke.
I wonder if they planned on it all along. If shit hits the fan, play the 'issa joke' card.
Matt Levine makes fun in his column today:
This is the first thing I thought when I read the headline. If Car companies want to sell us on electric cars, why don’t they, I don’t know, actually sell us electric cars?
This is especially bad for Volkswagen because not too long ago I was actually attempting to buy that aforementioned single electric car model, brand new, and in spite of there being what feels like hundreds of car dealers in my extended area, there were none in stock anywhere.
With marketing and manufacturing being so far off from each other, I seriously wonder if Volkswagen is in some kind of internal trouble with their management.
I think it's more likely just a momentum issue. Once a company really starts to get behind electric cars it can take 3-5 years to really get going from a manufacturing perspective. But that turnaround is much shorter for marketing. So optimistically Voltswagon will slowly have more to show over the next couple years.
To be fair, I'm also completely aware that in this particular situation it may simply be that the dealers themselves aren't completely on board with selling electric cars. I remember hearing the same issue with Nissan dealers who didn't like selling the Leaf so they'd try to switch buyers to the conventional cars because the salespeople were more confident selling them.
Speaking of trying to buy an electric car. I've been starting to explore options. Where I live there's a Tesla dealership (or workshop or whatever they call them) near me, so at some point I'll probably do a test drive with them, but I'm not sure I want a Tesla.
I've been looking at other manufacturers ell EVs and any time I try to find local stock it's all dealerships 100+ miles away. I don't understand why the dealerships next door to the Tesla wouldn't consider even just keeping 1 EV in stock to try to get customers through the door.
I don't know if dealerships still do "extended test drives" (or if Tesla does them at all), but if not I suggest renting one for a day where you go on a road trip or have plans running around with errands all day, or rent for a full weekend where you make it a point to drive often to get a real impression of it.
As for keeping an EV in stock, dealers don't frequently get the option to say what is and isn't sent to their lot. Especially if it's a lower volume product. Every dealership clamors to have as many (ugh...) SUVs and pickups on their lots as they sell quickly, but if something actually desirable comes along like a hopped up sports car, halo car, high margin package, etc. that has a limited run they'll have to deal with the fact that the manufacturer doesn't think their dealership can handle it (be it service department untrained on that model, not high profile enough, area demographics, and so on) and/or will have to take some filler cars (typically underdeveloped econoboxes that sit on lots for months at a time) to go with the desired car.
I went and looked at a Ford Mach-E over the weekend. I think it's inferior to Tesla still, but I think it's a close competitor. Have you looked for one of those yet? The sales guy I talked to mentioned that vehicle was for display and test drives only; if you wanted one you order it through their website.
The iD4 looks to have some issues currently, though many of them could be solved with over the air updates. As an EV driver for the past 2 years, I couldn't imagine not having one pedal driving on an EV. I am definitely looking forward to more EV options and I'm glad to see more on the road. As the Mach-E and the ID3 and 4 are the first real EV offerings from their respective companies, I would expect a lot of refinement in their next designs.
I've heard good things about the Mach-E but haven't got in one yet, it's on my list to try to find one to drive this Spring.
Is... is this an April Fool’s Joke? I know it’s only March 30th, but... it feels like an April Fool’s Joke.
Apparently, yes.
I saw the title and went to check the date to make sure I hadn’t skipped a day.
Cute name (and all too common people seem to misspell it Voltswagen in ads anyway) even if I think it's far too premature based on their current offerings. Had to do a double take upon seeing the "effective May 2021" line as I still forget it's not 2020 and my initial thought was "eh, a year to implement it gives them a chance to announce many new electric models).
That said, I wouldn't touch a VW electric car with a ten foot pole. Between myself and the guys we've owned three MK3 Jettas/Golfs, two MK4 Jettas/Golfs, a MK5 Golf, two MK6 Jettas/Golfs, and a MK6 Passat - Every. Single. One. had electrical issues. I like their engines and drivetrains, the 1.8T is a wonderful engine, the VR6 sounds amazing and delivers more than its ratings would let you believe. I liked their styling before it became amorphous blobs and their build quality is quite nice, but decades of inability to make reliable electronics and electrical systems makes their electrical cars a hard no from me for at least the first 10-15 years.
That said...
I'm still a sucker for the Scirocco/Corrado and actively search for a W12 Phaeton even if it means I'll have to destroy all the luxury that Piëch demanded in order to make it reliably perform to my standards.
My beetle has the same electrical problems. They just love love love to find new ways to drain the battery overnight. I'm thinking of installing a kill switch.
If they had a cheap electric beetle I might think about it once I know it's no lemon. I do love watching children all around me erupt into random violence while I'm driving. I can't really get that experience with another brand. :P
They should bring back the damn bus. Why not build it out as a mobile apartment for one?
Apparently they are bringing back the bus? I know I've seen ads for an EV version, I think it's called the buzz maybe? I also think I've been seeing articles about it for a few years now though, so who knows if it'll happen.
The Voltswagen Buzz is official for 2024 model year, but there have been at least three previous concepts for it from 2001, 2011, and 2016 (and I could have sworn I've seen more than just those three).
The 2024 looks okay I guess, but the photos are still of the concept so expect many changes. I get they're going with a light and airy aesthetic (or just blown out images), but insisting on having gray tires that don't exist in real life is certainly a choice.
There's the typical concept car theme of no exterior door handles or gauge cluster, and a steering wheel that isn't round (and is missing an airbag), so expect those to be fixed.
The pedals are a smooth, polished metal in addition to being shifted way too far to the right of the footwell, so those are going bye-bye.
Touch sensitive controls in the steering wheel aren't going to pass muster, nor is the expectation of a $40k-50k+ van that tells you to also buy an iPad.
White accent lights along the dash pointed right at the driver's eyes? Nope.
Steering wheel that retracts into the (again airbag-less) dash? Nope.
One piece, single fabric sheet, completely flat, zero lumbar or side bolster seats? Nope.
Front seats that rotate to face the rear? Doubtful.
Center console that slides to the front or back? Again, doubtful.
Side doors that block the charging port? It's VW, so probably will keep that one.