Volkswagen shelves adventurous ID Buggy, ID Ruggdzz EVs – Roadshow

Volkswagen has, in the past, said the shift to electric cars will help it bring more emotional vehicles to life. While we’re pumped to see the ID Buzz come to life, it looks like that emotion won’t translate to production versions of the ID Buggy or ID Ruggdzz. The word comes directly from VW CEO Ralf Brandstätter, who told Autocar in an interview published Monday the automaker will pursue more mass-market cars over the niche models.

VW declined to comment further on Brandstätter’s remarks, but it’s a bit of a bummer to say the least. Though there’s a little bit of hope. The CEO said the ID Ruggdzz, in particular, may still have a place in the future. Right now, however, it’s nowhere near a priority. The ID Buggy has a different fate. “We won’t do this car,” he said plainly.

The reborn Buggy was supposed to come to life via a partnership with e.Go Mobile, though since the VW deal in 2019, the firm filed for bankruptcy and the deal is void. Bummer. Please don’t tell our Emme Hall, who drove an ID Buggy prototype last year.

While the “emotional” stuff moves to the back burner, VW is absolutely chasing economies of scale with its EVs instead. The automaker’s just getting started in the US with the ID 4 SUV, but in Europe the ID 3 kicked things off last year. And ID 5 coupe-over will hit Europe next, while a production version of the ID Vizzion and Space Vizzion concepts will arrive in 2023, according to the CEO. Word has it VW’s killing off the Passat, likely to make room for these electric cars. And to better cater to Europe, an ID 1 and ID 2 are in the cards — a small hatchback and subcompact crossover. The former sounds like a poor candidate for the US, but the ID 2 could potentially find a slot here. We could also see an ID 4 GTX bow as a high-performance version of the new electric SUV.

Source: Electric - cnet.com