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This article is republished here with permission from The Associated Press. This content is shared here as the topic may be of interest to Snopes readers; however, it does not represent the work of fact-checkers or Snopes editors.
DETROIT (AP) – Volkswagen is considering changing its brand in the United States to “Voltswagen” as its production increasingly shifts to electric vehicles and tries to distance itself from an emissions cheat scandal.
A person briefed on the plan said an official announcement was scheduled for Tuesday. The person did not want to be identified because the plans had not been made public.
The company had briefly issued a press release on its website Monday morning announcing the rebranding. The press release was noticed by a USA Today reporter before being deleted. The press release was dated April 29.
The premature exit comes as VW takes reservations for the new small electric SUV ID.4 in the U.S. It’s the only new electric model from the company sold in the U.S., though there are plans to more, including a nostalgic takeover of the company’s Microbus.
Even with the ID.4 fully on sale, only a small fraction of VWs on American roads will carry the “Voltswagen” name. The vast majority of VW vehicle sales in the United States will still be gasoline powered for the foreseeable future and will continue to simply be labeled “VW”. The German automaker sold just under 326,000 VW-branded vehicles in the United States last year.
The person who was briefed on the plan said the name Volkswagen Group of America, which also includes the brands Audi, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini, will not change. On the contrary, only the “k” of the Volkswagen brand itself will be replaced by a “t”.
An exterior badge bearing the name “Voltswagen” will be affixed to the company’s electric vehicles, while gasoline-powered vehicles will still have the normal “VW” but no brand name on them, the person said.
The premature press release said the move amounted to a public statement of the company’s future investment in electric mobility.
“We may be changing our K for a T, but what we are not changing is this brand’s commitment to making the best-in-class vehicles for drivers and people around the world. VW of America CEO Scott Keogh said in the errant statement.
Outside of the United States, Volkswagen, like some other automakers, has significantly expanded its electric vehicle footprint. In Europe, the company tripled its sales of battery-powered vehicles from 45,000 in 2019 to 134,000 in 2020. VW started selling its new compact electric ID.3 ahead of the European Union’s new strict limits on car emissions .
In the United States, fully electric vehicles accounted for less than 2% of new vehicle sales last year. Tesla led the way, with estimated revenue of 205,600 in the United States, according to Autodata Corp. General Motors sold just under 21,000 Chevrolet Bolts, while Nissan sold just over 9,500 Leaf electric cars.
VW tried to repair its image after US officials discovered in 2015 that its so-called “clean diesel” vehicles had cheated on emissions tests. Diesel engines turned on pollution controls during Environmental Protection Agency treadmill testing, then turned them off on real roads.
In 2017, Volkswagen pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $ 4.3 billion in civil and criminal penalties to the United States in addition to an additional billion dollars to buy back cars. Two people were sent to prison.
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