Volkswagen Should Delay Electric Vehicles Again: Here’s Why

These are again software issues that VW doesn’t seem to be able to get a handle on. The company develops the software for its electric vehicles itself, but it’s been struggling with this for years. It previously delayed the Porsche Macan Electric and Audi Q6 e-tron, which also use VW software. Those electric vehicles are now here, but more than a year later than planned.

the darkness Director Magazine (during Electric) It suggests that software problems at Volkswagen are once again causing delays to electric vehicles. Part of Volkswagen’s SPP software platform has been postponed again, this time until the end of 2029. The platform was originally scheduled to launch in 2026, but has already been postponed several times. According to Manager Magazin, the decision to postpone was made again at Volkswagen on July 2. However, the company has not confirmed this.

Four years of struggling with software

That means the successor to the Volkswagen ID.4, and also the first electric Volkswagen Golf, won’t be released until the end of this decade at the earliest. The same goes for Porsche’s new K1 electric SUV, which is supposed to outperform the Cayenne and is expected to rival the Range Rover.

Volkswagen created an in-house division in 2020 to develop electric-vehicle software. Cariad, as the division is called, was tasked with closing the gap with rival Tesla, but it has so far failed to do so. Several high-profile executives, including Sanjay Lal, the former CEO of Tesla and Rivian, have flown in to try to turn things around. Lal took over late last year and is still at the helm of Cariad, but the division appears unable to get its software problems under control.