Before lecturing on the grounds of the Chicago Auto Show, Di Si stated in a video interview that “when I look at the data from January, the (EV) segment continues to grow.” According to him, the percentage of electric vehicle sales in North America increased to 8.5% in January from slightly less than 8% the previous year.
Head of Volkswagen’s North American operations Pablo Di Si told Reuters on Thursday that while the company is adhering to its goals to introduce 25 electric car models under its group brands in North America by 2030, it is prepared to change course if the market demands it.
Before lecturing on the grounds of the Chicago Auto Show, Di Si stated in a video interview that “when I look at the data from January, the (EV) segment continues to grow.” According to him, the percentage of electric vehicles sold in North America in January was 8.5%, an increase from less than 8% the previous year.
Di Si did note that the rate of increase is decreasing. He stated that to increase EV sales in “middle America,” more funding for charging infrastructure and ongoing government backing are required.
Due to the slowing rise in demand, automakers such as Ford and General Motors have reduced their investments in electric vehicles.
Volkswagen intends to expand its lineup of electric vehicles in the US. According to Di Si, the ID.7 sedan and the ID. Buzz electric minibus, expected to go on sale later this year in the US market, won’t sell in large quantities.
The most popular car class in the US market is SUVs. By developing larger, mid-range electric SUVs, Volkswagen hopes to boost sales of all of its brands in the US by 2030.
“They’ve been approved,” Di Si declared.
In 2026, American-made SUVs marketed under the resurrected Scout brand will join the Volkswagen group’s expanding array of electric vehicles in North America.
In 2022, the Volkswagen brand’s North American electric vehicle plan got off to a poor start. The carmaker began selling the tiny electric SUV, ID.4. In the United States, sales of the ID.4 reached 37,789 units last year, placing it just ahead of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 EV and trailing only Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3, GM’s Chevrolet Bolt, and Ford’s Mustang Mach-E.
According to Di Si, the VW brand will try to capitalize on updated ID.4 models this year, which will have better infotainment software, a longer driving range, and qualify for USD 7,500 in tax credits in the United States.
US-built Tesla Model Y SUVs are eligible for tax credits worth USD 7,500. However, information on official websites indicates that rival vehicles from Ford, GM, and Hyundai do not.