It's Makeover Time At VW As ID.3 Signals Advent Of New Era

Volkswagen has ushered in a new era with the ID.3 electric launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show with great fanfare this week.

- Murali Gopalan

The company has now sent out a strong message of its intent in the e-mobility space, which will be one of its key growth engines during the following decade.

If the script goes according to plan, VW will have over 70 e-models translating into sales of three million units by 2025. Its biggest markets will be Europe, China and North America while other regions, including India, could follow in due course of time.

Electric mantra

Electric has become one of the biggest mantras in the automobile industry with governments across the world absolutely categorical that it is the best way to combat the menace of vehicular emissions. This is particularly noticeable in parts of Europe where legislation is leading the way in pushing diesel to the sidelines.

China, meanwhile, is ahead in the race and it is hardly surprising that companies like VW are betting big to grow their emobility business there. It is already the largest market for the German car-maker, which will have enough reason to feel bullish on its electric business prospects too. India, in contrast, will have to wait longer since there is still a significant gap between intent and reality.

The interesting thing about VW’s edrive goes beyond the ID.3. It is a remarkable turnaround for a company that, till not-so-long ago, was down in the dumps following the diesel fudging scam. It had to face serious flak since the time the news broke out in 2015 as heads rolled and hefty payouts followed.

Beyond all this, it was a massive blow to the image of a car-maker which, till then, was the epitome of aggression and had articulated its intent to be the World Number 1 by 2018. As insiders say, it was an image of muscularity that defined VW with its vast array of brands and an insatiable appetite for growth and market share.

A resurgence