Not to be outdone by General Motors, Volkswagens says it will shift production and design of its electric vehicle drivetrains in-house. General Motors announced its intent to make EV technology one of its core competencies late last month.
According to Automotive News, VW plans to design and build its electric vehicle drivetrains in-house, covering everything from electric motors to battery packs. The move could give VW a leg up on the competition and will give the German automaker more stability as it won’t have to rely on outside suppliers for major vehicle components.
“We are systematically taking the path leading to the electric vehicle,” Karl-Thomas Neumann, VW’s head of electric vehicles, told Automotive News. The new strategy will rely heavily on VW’s 6,200 worker strong factory in Salzgitter, Germany.
VW plans to launch a small test fleet of electric Golf models later this year, with full-scale EV production expected to kick off in a few years. The Up city car will likely be VW’s first EV in 2013, with the company’s new EV division expected to supply the car’s electric drivetrain.
