VW names the time frame for saying goodbye to the internal combustion engine
VW is gradually dying out combustion engines. (Photo: Shutterstock.com)
VW has presented a plan according to which vehicles with internal combustion engines are to be retired. This applies initially to Europe – in China, America and Africa the cars are to be sold longer.
After the group subsidiary Audi, the core brand VW has now also given a specific timeframe for finally saying goodbye to the internal combustion engine. “In Europe we will get out of business with combustion vehicles between 2033 and 2035”, VW sales director Klaus Zellmer told Münchner Merkur (Saturday).
In the USA and China, the exit will take place a little later, in South America and Africa it will take a good deal longer. Just a few days ago, Audi announced that it would let the last combustion engines roll off the assembly line by 2033 at the latest.
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VW: Combustion engines should finance the switch to electromobility
VW will continue to invest in improving its combustion engines, stressed Zellmer. This also applies to diesel. The planned tightening of the EU emissions standard (Euro 7) for diesel is a particular challenge. However, diesel drives are “still in great demand,” said the manager, especially among those who drive a lot.
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess had emphasized when the balance sheet was presented in spring that he was relying on control based on supply and demand. “In some regions, combustion engines will be sold for longer than in other regions,” he said at the time. According to him, change comes through the market and the customers. The combustion engines are initially still necessary – also to finance the transition to the purely electric world. In addition, modern combustion engines are many times more efficient and less harmful to the environment than their predecessors from the times of the diesel crisis.
Internal combustion engines, however, are not to be completely redeveloped. In March 2021, VW’s brand boss Ralf Brandstätter stated that the group would no longer develop new combustion engines. Existing engines will only be optimized until the combustion engine is completely eliminated.
Audi more ambitious than VW when it comes to exiting combustion engines
Audi is more ambitious and wants to celebrate the last premiere for a new car model with a combustion engine in five years. The car will then be sold for about seven years, i.e. until 2032 or 2033 – depending on customer demand, it was said in Ingolstadt. After that, the VW subsidiary will only sell vehicles with electric drives worldwide. afr / dpa
