Report: Volkswagen to Start Electric Push with Three RWD Compacts

The Volkswagen Group is looking to have six all-electric vehicles on the road by 2025, starting with three modestly priced compact cars, reports Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. But a little line near the bottom is what caught my eye, because it says that the first electric vehicles will be rear-wheel-drive.

Volkswagen’s first concept car to sit on the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB platform), the Budd-e, was four-wheel-drive and the e-Golf sends power to the front wheels, but Auto Motor und Sport is reporting that the first three compacts will all share the same drive unit, which they say powers the rear wheels.

The first of the three cars will be Golf-sized and we’re expecting to see a concept of it in Paris next week. It will be followed by a Jetta-style sedan and a Tiguan- or Tiguan-XL-sized SUV.

The latter, reports Auto Motor und Sport, could seat up to seven people thanks to the MEB platform. Electric cars have no big engine taking up passenger space, so VW can squeeze more interior room out of a smaller car. That means that the Golf-sized car will also have more interior space than a Golf.

These three value options will hopefully create an economy of scale that will make battery production cheaper, but to keep initial prices down buyers will be able to pick how many batteries they’d like.

The cell packs, Frank Welsch, head of development at VW, told Auto Motor und Sport, can fit together like Lego giving drivers between 250 to 375 miles of range.

The compact models are to be followed by more premium options, like a big SUV, a coupe-sedan, and a transporter, but that won’t much resemble the Budd-e.

So far, the working title for the first car is NUVe (New Utility Vehicle electric). Maybe not the most romantic name, but it’ll slot right into VW’s “Think New,” motto like a battery pack: “Think NUVe.”

[source: Auto Motor und Sport]

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