Volkswagen Has No Electric Plans For One Of Its Icons
At a recent event for the upcoming third-generation Tiguan, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer told Autocar that — in spite of the race among manufacturers to develop even more electrified vehicles — it would not ignore its legacy models.
"We've decided we're not going to throw away the traditional, successful names that have carried us for so long, that we've invested in for so long, like Golf and Tiguan," said Schäfer. "Why would you let them go?"
Conspicuously absent from that statement is the car that was almost singlehandedly responsible for Volkswagen's early success as an automaker: the iconic Beetle. Designed by Ferdinand Porsche, the Beetle started production post-WWII, and export models made it to American shores in 1950. The quirky rear-engine, rear-wheel drive car was sold until 1979.
In the late-1990s, the Beetle made a comeback amidst the nostalgia craze that was gripping the automotive market at the time, joining the Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet SSR, and many others. This time around, the New Beetle used front-engine, front-wheel drive architecture, which was a complete reversal of the original design. However, an EV revamp for the iconic VW may not be on the cards.
Two doors is too few
Although the New Beetle sold well initially, demand for the retro compact coupe gradually waned, leading to its demise in 2019. The reason why isn't tough to figure out — Americans have a love affair with larger trucks and SUVs. It's difficult enough to sell sedans in this environment, never mind two doors. Especially those that aren't sports or muscle cars.
To quote Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer again, "I wouldn't say with 100% [certainty]. But from where I stand now, I wouldn't consider it." they said. "It's the same as Scirocco: it had its day, then there was a new model based on a reinterpretation. To do that again? I don't think so. And going forward with balancing all these technologies and the cost that is associated with it, you've got to invest money in the best possible place."
Clearly investing "in the best possible place" means vehicles with more utility value and a higher door count than the Beetle. As a consolation, old school VW fans can take comfort in the upcoming ID Buzz, an all-electric minivan that's the spiritual successor to VW's Type 2 Bus that was such a fixture of the 1960s and 1970s counterculture. Although pricing for the ID Buzz hasn't yet been disclosed, Volkswagen promises that the retro electric van will hit U.S. dealerships sometime next year.