Volkswagen to no longer develop internal combustion engines

In the context of the growing popularity of electric vehicles, an increasing number of automakers are deciding to abandon the use of traditional internal combustion engines. The German Group is not an exception: as claimed by Volkswagen strategy chief Michael Jost, the company decided to completely abandon the development and use of the power units that pollute the atmosphere. According to him, this radical step was pushed by the car maker’s desire to stop global warming.

However, the shift to electric cars will be performed gradually. At present, the company's engineers continue to work on the last generation of gasoline and diesel engines scheduled to be launched in 2026. After that, all efforts will be focused on the development and improvement of the MEB and PPE platforms which are going to be used as the base for electric cars.

In the next 5 years, the company intends to set aside a large amount - over $50 billion - to finance the switch from ICE vehicles production to electric cars and autopilot systems. It is expected that by 2030 the VW Group will release electrified or fully electric versions of its entire model range. In this process, not only passenger cars, but also commercial vehicles and motorcycles will be equipped with electric motors.

Nevertheless, the cars fitted with internal combustion engines will still be produced in limited quantities even after 2050 - mainly for countries with insufficient charging infrastructure. However, these vehicles will be built on old platforms.