Volkswagen CEO Rules Out Electric Beetle Revival
Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer has confirmed that the iconic Beetle will not be revived for the electric age. While certain nameplates will continue to play an important role in the brand’s future line-up, Schäfer believes it is important to look ahead rather than backwards. The future of Volkswagen’s longest-running nameplates has been a hot topic in recent months, with Schäfer previously suggesting that the Golf and GTI nameplates would be likely to continue in an all-electric line-up.
Schäfer emphasised the importance of certain current model names, stating that the company has decided not to throw away traditional, successful names that have carried them for so long, such as the Golf and Tiguan. He suggested that only a handful of names are really iconic and global, and that a nameplate must have worldwide significance to qualify for an electric revival.
When asked if the Volkswagen Beetle could make a comeback based on this strict criteria, Schäfer was categoric: “I don’t think so, because there are certain vehicles that have had their day. It wouldn’t make sense to bring it back.” He added that nostalgia would be a dead end for the brand, which always has to reinvent itself and bring out new things.
While some of the brand’s more recent nameplates are tipped to make a comeback, a name can only return if the new model adheres rigidly to the spirit of its namesake. Schäfer believes that if you call something a Golf or Passat or Tiguan, it has to have the genes of the vehicle – you cannot just call it something if it’s not the same substance.
The Volkswagen Beetle was earlier mooted for revival as a four-door electric hatchback as part of ex-CEO Herbert Diess’s plan to introduce more “emotional” cars to the VW line-up, in the vein of the ID Buzz. However, Schäfer believes that playing up to nostalgia would be a dead end for the brand.
The Volkswagen ID Buzz nods heavily to the company’s heritage – more precisely it is inspired by the legendary Type 2 van from the 1950s – but does not represent a desire to continue down the retro path with similar ‘revivals’. Schäfer said that the brand always has to reinvent itself and bring out new things.
In conclusion, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer has ruled out reviving the Beetle for the electric age. While certain nameplates will continue to play an important role in the brand’s future line-up, Schäfer believes it is important to look ahead rather than backwards. The brand always has to reinvent itself and bring out new things, and while some of the brand’s more recent nameplates are tipped to make a comeback, a name can only return if the new model adheres rigidly to the spirit of its namesake.