Volkswagen’s US name change to ‘Voltswagen’ was an April Fools marketing prank: source



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German automaker Volkswagen won’t change the name of its US operations to Voltswagen of America after all.

The news, which appeared to leak from its U.S. media site on Monday and was officially announced in a press release on Tuesday, was part of an elaborate April Fool’s Day joke aimed at raising awareness of the all-electric ID of the society. person familiar with the trick.

The company is expected to issue a follow-up announcement explaining the marketing strategy by Wednesday morning, the person said, asking not to be named. The Wall Street Journal reported the prank earlier Tuesday, citing a Volkswagen spokesperson in Wolfsburg.

An unfinished version of the initial press release was briefly posted on VW’s U.S. media newsroom website on Monday morning before it was withdrawn. Media, including CNBC, reported it as news after it was confirmed by anonymous sources within the company, who apparently lied to several reporters.

The statement said the name change is expected to take effect in May and called the change a “public statement of the company’s future investment in e-mobility.” He said the Voltswagen would be placed as an exterior badge on all EV models, with gasoline vehicles having only the company’s iconic VW emblem.

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