Volkswagen will not debut the Golf EV until the end of the decade, CEO Thomas Schafer said in an interview with the Financial Times. "We have a fantastic line-up as of now, so we do not need an electric Golf in 2028. We are well set with what we have in our portfolio with our vehicles," he told the publication further. This comes just over two months after a teaser image of the upcoming Golf was seen for the first time.
- Competition from Chinese brands has forced VW Group to rethink EV pricing
- Golf EV to be based on the electric Scalable Systems Platform (SSP)
- Development issues are delaying SSP rollout
His comments suggest that Volkswagen wants to give newer electric models like the ID Polo, ID 3 Neo and the ID Cross (debut likely by 2026-end) more time in the market before introducing an electric version of one of its most popular nameplates. On the delay, Schafer said, "It sounds like we take so long, but for us, we are looking at scale, and you have to have scale in this game, or you'll never make margin parity."
He added that stronger competition, especially from Chinese brands, has forced the group to rethink EV pricing and redo the maths regarding platform costs in terms of materials and investment.
SSP base to first underpin Porsche, Audi cars
Shafer also pointed to development issues delaying the all-electric Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), which will underpin the Golf EV and the next-generation models of the Volkswagen Group. SSP will be key in bringing price parity between ICE and EV cars, VW Group CEO Oliver Blume previously claimed. This platform will feature 800V electricals, more advanced battery tech and new software architecture developed with Rivian, a US-based EV-maker, with which the group has a joint venture since November 2024.
Autocar UK had previously reported that the electrified Golf would be one of the first models based on SSP, but Schafer has now clarified that these will initially come from Audi and Porsche. "SSP, we will roll it out across the [VW Group] brands. We will start with the premium brands first... then us [VW] and on and on," he said. The first vehicle underpinned by SSP won't debut until 2028.
Dhruv Dhaka
Glenn Noronha
Viraaj Bhatnagar
