California Is Forcing VW To Release A Barrage Of Electric Vehicles

The legal battle over Dieselgate may be over, but the ramifications will live on for years. Case in point: the state of California is forcing Volkswagen to launch three new electric models by 2019. Likely, they will at least start out as local-only vehicles. One will be an updated e-Golf, or a replacement model.

CARB has asked for and the courts have decreed one of the three new EVs must be an SUV. Then, by 2020, VW is required to launch a second electric SUV.

Lest you think Volkswagen can make a few token EVs and call it good, CARB has already figured a way to hold the company’s feet to the fire. Between 2019 and 2025, VW has to sell a minimum of 35,000 EVs in the state.

Some think this all but assures Volkswagen will make the I.D. Buzz a reality, along with the I.D. Hatchback and I.D. Crozz. I think more people than Volkswagen suspects would be interested in the I.D. Buzz. The concept is nostalgic, and yet practical enough, which is something other EVs have for the most part failed to deliver.

Instead of just taking its punishment begrudgingly, I’d love to see Volkswagen fully embrace this new direction. VW has the resources to push electrification mainstream and make it more affordable. Porsche and now Audi are forging ahead in that direction already.