German automaker Volkswagen has said that it is sticking with its plans to launch 25 electric vehicle models in North America across its group brands by 2030. However, the brand is also ready to adjust as the market shifts, Pablo Di Si, head of Volkswagen’s North American business, told Reuters. “When I look at the data from January, the (EV) segment continues to grow,” he said in a video interview on the sidelines of the Chicago Auto Show.
Electric vehicles in North America accounted for 8.5% of of total vehicle sales in January, up from just under 8% last year, he said. However, he believes that the pace of growth is slowing and that more investment in charging infrastructure and continued government support will be needed to expand EV sales in ‘middle America’.
Due to the declining growth of electric vehicles, big auto manufacturers such as General Motors, Ford and others have slowed investments in the segment. Volkswagen is, however, looking to add more EV models in the US. The ID.Buzz electric minibus and the ID.7 sedan are scheduled to launch in the US market later this year, but will not deliver high sales volumes, Di Si said.
The executive realises that SUVs are the highest volume segment in the US market, and Volkswagen is developing midsize and larger electric SUVs to push sales toward a goal of capturing 10% of the US market across all the group’s brands by 2030. “We have them approved,” Di Si said.
The Volkswagen group is planning to expand its North American EV lineup in 2026 to include US-made SUVs sold under the revived Scout brand. The brand’s North American EV strategy got off to a slow start last year as the automaker launched sales of the ID.4 compact electric SUV. The model’s sales in the US rose to 37,789 vehicles last year – behind Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3, GM’s Chevrolet Bolt and Ford’s Mustang Mach-E and just ahead of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 EV.