To protect its European electric vehicle leadership, Volkswagen has gone on the offensive with an unprecedented car wave of affordable electric vehicles at just 25,000 euros that could either keep the European automotive giant on top or lose it to the onslaught of Chinese manufacturers that threatens to permanently change the face of the car business in Europe.
German automaker unveils affordable electric vehicle strategy
According to CNBC, the German auto giant is in a rush to solidify its electromobility leadership in Europe with a new range of small and low-priced electric cars, as indicated by the chief executive of Volkswagen. The small all-electric ID was launched by Volkswagen, the biggest electric car supplier in Germany and Europe, this year. Cross Concept car over the weekend, and this will be rolled out into the market during the first half of next year.
It is the fourth launch of a family of new electrical models by Volkswagen, after the ID.2 all, and the ID. GTI Concept and the ID. EVERY1. We have spent a long time over the past years, trying to make our software better, to make our batteries better. This family will be the first to have our single cell concept as far as the battery is concerned, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume told CNBC’s Annette Weisbach on Monday.
Twenty-eight percent market share drives expansion plans
We will be competitive, and currently, in Europe, we lead the market by far in electromobility with a 28 percent market share. It is another push to the size of this market share, making it even larger, Blume said. Volkswagen’s ID. Entry price level will be approximately 25,000 euros ($29,316) and the Cross Concept car, Blume said.
Volkswagen, the leading car maker in Europe, on Monday introduced a range of cheaper electric cars to compete with the fast-rising Chinese competitors, as the troubled German auto industry tries to reverse its misfortunes, the Purdue Exponent reports. The four mini EVs, which are revealed on the domestic scene in Munich this week to match the IAA auto show, belong to the VW, Cupra, and Skoda brands, and cost around 25,000 euros (29,000) to start.
European market pressure is aggravated by Chinese competition.
Blume responded to the strong competition presented by Chinese EV competitors by saying that he accepted the challenge. Competition to me is very positive. It is such a sport: if you have good rivals, you are supposed to be better. That is what we have been ready to do over the past years, regarding improving ourselves, said Blume. I have no fear of the competition, he added. VW announced in a statement that its commercial introduction will come in 2026 and is a part of its counterattack against Chinese car manufacturers that are gradually gaining market share in Europe through their own low-cost EVs.
BYD proudly proclaims European expansion
Monday News BYD, the Chinese EV giant, confirmed that its Dolphin Surf electric compact car, which has already been sold in Europe for approximately 20,000 euros since May, will be manufactured in its future Hungarian plant starting at the end of 2025. This implies that it will evade heavy tariffs that the EU has imposed on Chinese-made EVs due to what Brussels claims to be unfair state subsidies.
The aggressive approach of Volkswagen to continue leading the European EV market by offering low prices is a focal point in the fight for the future of the automobile industry in Europe. As Chinese manufacturers intensively develop production capacity and undermine the old pricing model, the ability of the German giant to protect its market share of 28 percent will define the possibility of the European car manufacturers to effectively compete in the increasingly dynamic electric vehicle situation.