Three quarters ago last year, Volkswagen drafted a convertible for the identifier of the electric car sub-brand. Provided on the MEB electric drive kit. At the time, the Wolfsburg-based company asked for opinions on this model, but it no longer provides any specific comments. According to reports, plans for the first Stromer without a permanent roof in the Volkswagen Group are advanced – a brand that has yet to be seen.
According to the head of Volkswagen, Herbert Dies, the Osnabrück site could have good prospects for electronic conversion. In an internal conversation about which the workforce can ask questions, the CEO said that the plant, which currently mainly produces the open version of the compact T-Roc SUV, “is very qualified as a specialized convertible site.” “The next option should, of course, be an electric convertible. There are considerations at Volkswagen, there are considerations at Audi.”
Dis said no further on this point. On December 9th, investment planning in Europe’s largest car company is expected to be completed for the next five years. Then there could also be a definite decision in favor of a battery-powered convertible. According to Dies, the prospects for serial production are good, telling employees, “He is sure Osnabrück will move forward to produce our electric convertible. I am very confident about that.”
Initially, Volkswagen is ramping up production of electric cars elsewhere. After the Zwickau site was converted into a factory for electric cars, the Emden and Hanover plants, for example, are now gradually being transformed. In March, Volkswagen announced to Osnabrück that it would move part of the assembly of the hatchback version of the Arteon combustion engine from Emden to that location in the summer. This will relieve Emden from conversions for future production of electric models.
A draft published in March shows what Volkswagen’s electric convertible could look like. The model is based on the ID.3 compact car, but is slightly shorter and has only two doors. If there is a serial version, the technology must also be based on ID.3. VW currently offers from €35,460 with engines from 110 kW (150 hp) to 150 kW (204 hp) and a range of just under 350 to about 550 km. The convertible model is likely to be more expensive than the closed ID.3 models.
Audi has also already provided a preview of an open-top electric car. However, the skyscraper, revealed in August, is a luxury roadster meant to provide an insight into the brand’s long-term premium future. If such a car actually goes into series production, that won’t be the case until mid-2020, according to Audi. The electronic transfer being discussed should reach Osnabrück much earlier.
