Voltswagen or not, Volkswagen ventures into electric mobility with EV SUV ID-4

Early Monday many news channels reported that Volkswagen announced a name change to promote its EV vehicles. The company, in a release (now taken down), said that it would change its name to Voltswagen - Volts or Voltage is SI unit for Electricity. The name change as a release for media was up on the company’s website for about an hour before disappearing. Later, CNBC, USA Today and others reported on the news release, saying it was dated April 29. They further stated that the release appears to have been accidentally posted a month early.

But it was not. Ahead of April Fool's, the company only played a marketing gimmick with the people. In another tweet, the company stated, “We know, 66 is an unusual age to change your name, but we’ve always been young at heart. Introducing Voltswagen. Similar to Volkswagen, but with a renewed focus on electric driving. Starting with our all-new, all-electric SUV the ID.4 - available today.”

The wordplay aimed at marketing the entry of Volkswagen into EV. Further, the company put forth the idea as: “Before, you had to choose between an all-electric SUV and a VW. Now, you can have both.”

What did the Voltswagen name-change release state?

The release said the name change would take effect in May and called the change a public declaration of the company’s future-forward investment in e-mobility. It said that the company will place Voltswagen as an exterior badge on all EV models with gas vehicles having the company’s iconic VW emblem only. It also added that Voltswagen of America would remain an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America and a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, with headquarters in Herndon, Virginia.

“The renaming was designed to be an announcement in the spirit of April Fool’s Day, highlighting the launch of the all-electric ID.4 SUV,” said Mike Tolbert, VW’s US spokesman, to CNBC.

Volkswagen into EV?

A name change would be the latest EV news from Volkswagen. Reports suggest that earlier this month, it held a “Power Day” to discuss its EV technologies. It also announced goals of significantly increasing sales of EVs through the end of the decade. The company expects more than 70% of its Volkswagen brand’s European sales will be EVs by 2030. The company has a previous target of 35%. In the U.S. and China, it expects half of its sales to be EVs by that time frame.