Thomas Schäfer has only been sitting in the VW executive chair for a few weeks – and immediately draws attention to himself with a bang. Not with what he said, but rather with what he didn’t say.
In an interview, Schäfer avoided making a clear commitment to golf. More precisely to the Golf 9.
When asked whether the current eighth is the last Golf, Schäfer dodged: “We will have to see whether it is worth developing a new vehicle that does not last the full seven or eight years. That would be extreme expensive.”
Development costs keep rising
Expensive mainly because the development costs continue to rise, the planned Euro 7 emission standard could cost 3000 to 5000 euros – per car. This can hardly be represented even in the now anything but cheap compact class.
The main reason for Schäfer’s hesitation, however, is likely to be that Volkswagen has committed itself to e-mobility and wants to get rid of the combustion engine as quickly as possible.
The new Golf would start in rotation in 2027, theoretically until the combustion engine ban planned by the EU in 2035. But Schäfer sees the future in the ID. models, and nothing will change in this group strategy even after Diess’ departure.
ID.3 takes on the role of the electric Golf
The end has not yet been decided, Thomas Schäfer says: “We will know more in twelve months.”
