Volkswagen AG and its charging and energy brand Elli have reached their next milestone: With 400,000 charging points, Elli is now operating the greatest charging network in Europe, with more than 800 providers in 27 countries. Over the past 18 months, the network has doubled in size by adding about 200,000 new charging points. Elli most recently expanded its network in western and northern Europe by adding the Swedish energy company Vattenfall and the Dutch fast-charging specialist Fastned.

Quick and easy to use and, above all, available throughout Europe: The charging network of the Volkswagen subsidiary Elli is expanding. In the process, the company has entered into a large number of alliances and partnerships, including ones with such energy suppliers as Enel and Iberdrola, the petroleum group BP and the joint venture IONITY. The aim of this work is quite simple: to provide drivers of electric vehicles with a tightly knit international charging network which is easily accessible. About 800 providers are currently integrated. Most recently, Elli added about 24,000 Vattenfall stations in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden along with 1,000 high-power charging points (HPC) operated by Fastned in the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, France and Switzerland. A few months earlier, the network was massively expanded in Great Britain with the addition of 6,800 charging stations managed by BP Pulse.

“The key to everyday electric mobility is easy charging without any range anxiety,” said Elke Temme, the CEO of Elli and Senior Vice President of Charging & Energy at Volkswagen AG. “We have taken a huge step closer to our vision by offering 400,000 charging points in Europe. In line with our NEW AUTO strategy, we now offer the largest ecosystem for drivers of electric vehicles in Europe and are continuing to press full speed ahead in our work to expand the charging network.”

As a mobility service provider, Elli offers its services to the drivers of electric vehicles made by all manufacturers. Customers of Elli and those of the brands SEAT, CUPRA, ŠKODA AUTO and Volkswagen may use the network further on that. The charging service offered by AUDI will be integrated into the portfolio next year: Charging with Audi | Audi MediaCenter (audi-mediacenter.com)

Charging and energy are a promising new business area for the Volkswagen Group
The Volkswagen Group has made charging and energy a part of its core business in its NEW AUTO strategy. With a workforce of some 250 employees, Elli takes care of the things that matter to customers at the touchpoints between energy and mobility. Elli is the Volkswagen Group brand that offers a wide portfolio of energy and charging solutions in Europe and also acts as a provider of mobile services. Its current range of products includes charging solutions for private customers and companies – from the customers’ own wall boxes and the mobile charging station Flexpole to charging services and innovative and smart green-power rates. Elli offers digital solutions and services designed to create seamless experiences at public charging stations. Electric vehicles can be easily charged with the help of an app and a charging map. Three transparent charging rates are offered: “Drive Free”, “Drive City” and “Drive Highway”. The rates are geared towards drivers who need to charge their vehicles rarely, frequently or quickly. Elli was founded in 2018 and has offices in Berlin, Wolfsburg and Munich. You will find more information at https://www.elli.eco/de/startseite

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Volkswagen will be unveiling the new ID.3 to the public this coming spring. The second-generation ID.3 is set to be the latest chapter in the ID. family success story: To date, more than half a million ID. models – built on the basis of the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) – have been delivered to customers around the world. Currently, the ID.3 is produced at the Zwickau and Dresden plants in Germany. However, the production network will be expanded next year to include the main Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg. This is in order to meet high levels of customer demand for the fully electric compact car.

“The new ID.3 demonstrates our commitment to quality, design and sustainability. The design has matured, and we’ve upgraded the materials used in the interior”, says Imelda Labbé, Volkswagen Board Member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales. In coming up with the revamped version, the development team took on board a range of suggestions from customers in order to improve the product and enhance the standard equipment package: “The needs of our customers are always front and centre for us. That’s why we listen carefully and focus on gearing our product portfolio to their requirements”, Labbé adds.

The new ID.3 is equipped with the latest software generation, which improves system performance and is able to receive over-the-air updates. In addition, the standard equipment package has had an upgrade: it now includes a display with a diagonal measurement of 12 inches (30.5 centimetres), a removable luggage compartment floor and a centre console with two cup holders.

Functions such as Plug & Charge and the intelligent Electric Vehicle Route Planner make the charging experience in the new ID.3 even more straightforward and convenient. VW is using the latest generation of fully integrated assist systems in the ID.3. Stand-out examples of this are the optionally available Travel Assist with Swarm Data and the Park Assist Plus with Memory Function.

“Part of our mission at Volkswagen is to offer state-of-the-art technologies and innovations across all models, including compact vehicles, and the ID.3 exemplifies this – for example when it comes to new convenience and assist systems:we are taking the next step forward on the way to highly automated driving with the use of swarm data in the latest Travel Assist”, explains Kai Grünitz, Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management responsible for Development.

German customers can order the pre-configured Life, Business, Style, Max and Tour models from December 1st. The starting price of the ID.3 Life is €43,995 (including VAT and before subtracting the environmental bonus, where applicable). Due to the high order volume, customers who place their order now are expected to receive their new ID.3 from the fourth quarter of 2023 onwards*.

*Due to the current supply situation for semiconductors and the existing order backlog, Volkswagen estimates that the ID.3 Pro models Life, Business, Style, Max and the ID.3 Pro S model Tour will not be delivered to customers before the fourth quarter of 2023. Based on current planning, production of the enhanced version of the ID.3 will have begun by this time. This means that the vehicle delivered will not be that shown by the configurator or on the contract at the time the customer places their order; instead, customers will receive the enhanced ID.3 model. The vehicle may differ from the order scope, but any such differences will be to the customer’s benefit – with the following exceptions: ID. steering wheels were previously trimmed with leather; this will be replaced by a high-quality leather substitute. Due to the enhancement of the design as described above, the WLTP consumption and range figures for the vehicles may differ from the currently stated figures by up to 2 percent.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Volkswagen is making the Wolfsburg site fit for the future: the brand will be making an initial investment of some €460 million in the main factory at the Group headquarters by the beginning of 2025. This was announced on Wednesday by CEO Thomas Schäfer during a works meeting in Wolfsburg. The investment is primarily earmarked for preparations to produce the new ID.3. The compact electric car will be leaving the assembly line in Wolfsburg from 2023 – initially in partial production, with full production slated from 2024. Ramp-up is due for completion by the end of 2025. The necessary training measures for the workforce are currently being prepared. Post-ID.3 ramp-up, a further all-electric model for the booming SUV segment is to boost Wolfsburg’s capacity utilization for EV production over the long term. The technical basis for the new model is the Modular Electric Drive System (MEB). Volkswagen’s e-car platform is to undergo substantial further development as the MEB+, thus becoming even more efficient.

This will be followed by a further pillar for the Wolfsburg site, the Trinity vehicle project. It will be based on the future Group-wide Scalable Systems Platform (SSP). By the end of 2033 at the latest, the Volkswagen brand will only build electric cars in Wolfsburg - as in all of its other factories in Europe.

Talking to employees Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand and Group Board Member for the Volume brand group, said: “Volkswagen stands for electromobility for everyone. And Wolfsburg will be part of this success story. Here at our main plant alone, we will be investing some €460 million by the beginning of 2025, getting the factory ready for the MEB. The ID.3 ramp-up is the first important step towards the electrification of our main plant. At the same time, we are working closely with the Works Council to bring a further electric model based on the MEB+ to Wolfsburg – this will be a high-volume model for the booming SUV segment. With these strong decisions and investments, we intend to bolster the competitiveness of this factory further and give the workforce a concrete long-term perspective.”

Turning his attention to the current year, Schäfer thanked employees for their great flexibility and team spirit in a very challenging economic environment.

Works Council Chairwoman Daniela Cavallo said: “Wolfsburg stands for the future. And the Works Council has a clear ambition for the Wolfsburg site: state-of-the-art production, the best workforce, and the biggest pioneering spirit. That means Wolfsburg will remain the brand’s – and the Group’s – powerhouse in the coming years with the transformation to electric production, an additional all-electric model by 2026, along with Trinity and the SSP. We will develop the detailed timetable together. That is how we are creating secure jobs. I would also like to thank the entire production team at our main factory that has weathered many a crisis in this difficult year.”

The first step towards the factory’s electric future involves re-equipping the site for the ID.3. This electric model will begin leaving the assembly line in Wolfsburg from 2023 – in addition to current production in Zwickau. For the largest factory in the entire Volkswagen Group, this is the first all-electric vehicle based on the MEB.

Brand CEO Thomas Schäfer indicated there are plans to produce a further model based on the MEB at the main factory in the future. This model would be an all-electric SUV. “That is the largest vehicle segment worldwide, it is home to our popular Tiguan. The new model would ideally complement our bestselling ID.4 and ID.5. This is how we intend to expand our market position further and give our customers the high-quality vehicles they expect from us,” Schäfer said.

Volkswagen will use the MEB+, the further development of the successful MEB e-car platform, for the e-SUV. Schäfer: “The MEB still has significant potential. Our ambition is to take this platform to the next level. To that end, we are making substantial investments in advancing this technology. The MEB+ puts us in an excellent position for the coming years.” Back in 2020, analysts conducted an in-depth study of Volkswagen’s electric platform, and concluded that it is the “most impressive solution available from an established motor company” on the market for electric vehicles.

Customers will benefit from the MEB+ in many respects. The platform will enable faster charging speeds and longer ranges. Volkswagen plans to use the highly-standardized unified cell manufactured at the Group’s own cell factory in Salzgitter (start of production in 2025) in the system.

With “Accelerate” Volkswagen launched a strong brand strategy for the electric and digital era of mobility. The “Energize” program gives this strategy a further boost as it progresses. This initiative is designed to make the Volkswagen brand shine. The lodestar of the strategy remains the Trinity vehicle project based on the highly-scalable SSP platform. The project will get underway in line with staggered software development. A decision on where the vehicle will be built in Wolfsburg has not yet been taken. That is why Volkswagen is keeping the option to build a new factory in Warmenau open.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Volkswagen has put together a series of exclusive equipment packages for its new MOVE special-edition models. True to the slogan “Simply get more”, they come with a whole host of attractive additional model-dependent features: from background lighting and newly designed seat covers made from sustainable materials to the model-specific Zurich alloy wheels. Depending on vehicle, customers benefit from savings of up to €2,600 compared with the recommended retail price for a model with an equivalent equipment level.

“The new MOVE special-edition models represent an attractive option for all customer groups,” explains Imelda Labbé, member of the Board of Management for Sales, Marketing and After Sales. Polo, Taigo, T-Cross, T-Roc, T-Roc Cabriolet, Golf, Golf Estate, Touran, Tiguan, Tiguan Allspace: an exclusive specification package is now available for these models. Highlights include the special colour Ivory Silver Metallic and the model-specific Zurich alloy wheels. Customers can also look forward to darkened rear windows, as well as sill panel mouldings and badges with the MOVE lettering.

The extensive standard equipment of the special-edition models also includes a multifunction leather steering wheel, the Ready 2 Discover infotainment and navigation system including Streaming & Internet, the Air Care Climatronic automatic air conditioner, and the Light & Sight Package with automatic lighting control and rain sensor. The interior features stylish touches such as background lighting and newly designed seat covers with coloured stitching and expressive embossing. In addition, sustainable materials are used in all models. For example, the outer fabric of the seats, head restraints, headliner and textile floor mats is made from up to 100 percent recycled materials and, depending on the model, from up to 100 recycled PET bottles.

All MOVE special-edition models can be combined with different engine and gearbox versions and are now available for order. The special-edition models can be optionally supplemented with a “Plus” package (including Digital Cockpit Pro, LED Plus/matrix headlights). Depending on model, customers benefit from savings of up to €2,600.

 Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com