VW CEO: All-Electric GTI Will Be a 'Monster Car'
Some cars seem destined to be better with electrification. Mini, for example, should've been a slam dunk. The same goes for most of the Fiat lineup. Whether or not those brands have lived up to expectations, of course, is another conversation. Volkswagen's iconic Golf GTI has a lot of the same traits: small, practical, and quick. For over 45 years, it's been the poster child for accessible enthusiast rides in the VW portfolio, and the company doesn't plan on blowing it. At least, not if its CEO is to be believed.
In conversations originally cited by Autocar, VW CEO Thomas Schäfer discussed some of the finer points of the upcoming, all-electric GTI. He's under the impression that an electric Golf can "absolutely" still be exciting. How can he be so sure? "We have driven a few prototypes that we have built on the new setup…it is mind-blowing." He goes on to say that VW is paying special attention to how the car feels, sounds, and handles. He claims that, based on the prototypes, the EV GTI will be "a monster car."
Last year, we got our first glimpse at what exactly an EV GTI might look like. VW executive Kai Grünitz's comments rang a bit more modest relative to Schäfer's more recent ones. "Do we need 300 or 350 bhp? With a GTI, what's more important than power is drivability," he said in 2024 at GTI Fan Fest in Wolfsburg. "It will be a real go-kart. I've driven a prototype and it's really amazing." The current gas-powered GTI makes 240 horsepower (236 bhp), and while a 280-something horsepower GTI still sounds like a ton of fun, it's probably not what most drivers would call a "monster." But who knows, VW may have changed its tune (literally and figuratively) in the 10 months since Grünitz's comments.
Shreds of hope for the EV GTI weren't the only clues Schäfer dropped regarding what's coming out of Wolfsburg. Schäfer claims the electric Golf won't debut until close to the end of the decade, but it will be the forerunner for a "whole group" of cars wearing GTI badges. While we're hoping that means something more in the way of a Jetta GTI than an ID.4 GTI, we don't have any other information right now. The current Golf's lifecycle will run until 2028 or 2029.
Electric cars can be fun, and the GTI is a natural fit for electrification. It all comes down to implementation, though, as the feel has almost always been the reason shoppers end up in the driver's seat of a GTI as opposed to any other hot hatch. From the tartan/plaid seats to the iconic gear selector, there is no shortage of things besides the powertrain that make a GTI decidedly "fun." It's good news that the CEO of VW is excited about the new GTI; we just hope the small details don't get missed.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
OPPO Licenses Cellular Standard-Essential Patents to Volkswagen Group for Connected Vehicles
Shenzhen, China--(Newsfile Corp. - June 5, 2025) - Leading smart device company OPPO today announced the signing of a global patent licensing agreement with Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (hereafter referred to as Volkswagen) to license OPPO's cellular standard-essential patents portfolio to the group, including 5G. Under the agreement, OPPO's cellular standard-essential patents will be licensed to Volkswagen to enhance user experiences for its connected vehicle offerings across its global product lineup. Joint Logo To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: "We are delighted to collaborate with Volkswagen through this patent licensing agreement," said Vincent Lin, Head of Patent Licensing at OPPO. "Volkswagen IP team's hard work and foresights in recognizing the value of this cooperation are highly appreciated. This partnership is further recognition of OPPO's leadership in cellular technology innovation and our commitment to creating a long-term, healthy and sustainable intellectual property ecosystem that empowers long-term innovation and industry growth." "The partnership with OPPO is an example of efficient, respectful, business focused collaboration in the space of licensing of Standard Essential Patents," said Robin Cefai, Chief IP Licensing Officer at Volkswagen. It illustrates Volkswagen's willingness to recognize the value of IP and find sustainable solutions for all parties. Marking OPPO's first ever bilateral patent licensing agreement with a connected-car company, the collaboration reflects the broader adaption of OPPO's cellular standard-essential technologies beyond smartphones, especially in the automotive sector. OPPO's 5G SEPs are currently distributed in over 40 countries and regions globally, and according to LexisNexis® IPlytics, a leading patent analytics platform, OPPO ranked eighth globally in overall 5G patent strength as of January 2025. As of March 2025, OPPO has filed over 113,000 patent applications and holds more than 62,000 granted patents globally. OPPO continues to invest in core technology areas including 5G/6G, artificial intelligence, charging, imaging, and video, reinforcing its position as a global leader in innovation and high-value intellectual property. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About OPPO OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone - "Smiley Face" - in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO also provides its users with ColorOS operating system and internet services. OPPO has footprints in more than 70 countries and regions, with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world. Media Contact:press@ To view the source version of this press release, please visit
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Nearly 20,000 Volkswagen workers take voluntary redundancy while others could work a 4-day week amid overhaul
Around 20,000 Volkswagen workers in Germany have so far agreed to take voluntary redundancy as part of a major overhaul aimed at cutting costs, the struggling auto titan said Tuesday. Europe's biggest carmaker, hit by fierce competition in its key market of China and a stuttering shift to electric vehicles, struck a deal with unions last year for massive job cuts in its home market. Some 20,000 workers had so far accepted redundancy offers, out of a total of 35,000 due to be shed by 2030 under the agreement, the 10-brand group said. The total figure represents a quarter of the Volkswagen brand's workforce. The jobs are being cut at the carmaker's core Volkswagen brand, and amount to about 30 percent of its workforce in Germany. Volkswagen plans to slash capacity by over 700,000 units, while its other brands, including Audi and Porsche, have also been trimming costs by cutting thousands of jobs. The redundancies and retirements, as opposed to layoffs, to meet Volkswagen's headcount reduction target are due to strong German labor laws that make it harder to dismiss employees en masse. 'We are on track,' VW board board member Gunnar Kilian said at a meeting with staff at the company's historic headquarters in Wolfsburg, western Germany. He said the 'socially responsible' job cuts as well as reductions in factory costs added up to 'measurable progress.' Volkswagen dropped a bombshell last year when it said it was mulling closing factories in Germany for the first time in its history. But after months of talks with unions and a series of walkouts, it decided against shuttering any plants, instead striking the agreement to cut jobs through voluntary redundancies. The Volkswagen brand has grappled with overinvestment and low returns on its electric vehicles, prompting a slew of changes. While the German auto giant navigates an overhaul within the company, it might also have staff working fewer days from 2027 onwards. As part of restructuring efforts, Wolfsburg, Volkswagen's biggest plant, could turn to a four-day workweek as it focuses only on EV production, works council head Daniela Cavallo said on Tuesday, according to Reuters. 'We have to make provisions now so that we can draw on them later … From 2027 onwards, a temporary four-day week is not an unreasonable scenario,' Cavallo told workers. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rivian Stock Dips Below $15: Should You Buy?
Rivian is struggling to grow deliveries but is improving cash burn. The company has a lot of cash and a partnership with Volkswagen. It is aiming to grow production, but is in a tough spot trying to increase customer demand. 10 stocks we like better than Rivian Automotive › Excitement around electric vehicles (EVs) has waned, at least in the United States. Tesla has lost its growth profile and is struggling to ship more units to customers. Chinese brands are taking increasing share in markets outside the United States. One EV upstart stuck in the mud is Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN). The maker of high-end trucks and SUVs is experiencing falling deliveries to customers and is struggling to generate positive cash flow. The stock has fallen back below $15 as I write this, and is well off all-time highs from near its initial public offering. Does this make the stock a good buy-the-dip candidate today? The narrative around Rivian Automotive is sound. It is building premium EVs in America, tackling the high-end truck and SUV market, which has strong profit characteristics. It's got new factories under construction and more affordable vehicles coming down the line. And don't forget its EV delivery van product, which has a huge contract from Amazon -- an investor in the company -- as well as other buyers. These tailwinds are not showing up in the numbers today. Rivian expects to deliver 40,000 to 46,000 vehicles this year, compared to 51,579 in 2024. Demand seems to be waning for Rivian vehicles as it serves the high end of the EV space in the United States, which is quite niche. This is a problem that also happened to Tesla before it introduced its more affordable vehicles. Rivian hopes the same can occur with its upcoming R2 product, with plans for a starting price of $45,000. Encouragingly, Rivian has increased its profitability, bringing gross profit to a positive figure in the last two quarters. However, free cash flow is still deeply negative at a $1.86 billion burn over the last 12 months. The company needs more scale and better efficiency in order to build a sustainable business. It has made some progress in this regard, but still has a long slog ahead. Rivian's cash burn is ugly, but it has a lot of funding sources to help it keep building its production capacity over the next few years. There is still $7.2 billion in cash on the balance sheet, along with funding commitments from Volkswagen as part of a joint venture and a proposed $6.6 billion loan from the U.S. government. Volkswagen is a development and software partner for Rivian and plans to invest billions into the stock if Rivian can hit operational and gross profit milestones. Last quarter, Rivian saw a huge increase in its software and services revenue to $318 million compared to $88 million a year prior. A lot of this came from $167 million in revenue from the Volkswagen joint venture, which should help the company get closer to profitability. The segment had positive gross profit of $114 million last quarter. Overall, Rivian will need to get increased scale in its automotive business in order to generate positive free cash flow and become sustainable. It generated a slight gross profit for the automotive segment of $92 million last quarter, which is great progress compared to the ugly figures in years prior. Automotive gross margin was 10% last quarter. This figure will need to grow in the coming years to keep the company improving. If Rivian can return to growing deliveries with its upcoming cheaper models, there is a path to solid profit generation. Rivian generated $5 billion in revenue in 2024 even though its total deliveries were only around 50,000. If total deliveries can grow to 250,000 -- Tesla is close to 2 million, for reference -- I think $20 billion in revenue is possible. A 10% bottom-line net income margin that could occur once gross margin gets higher than today would equate to $2 billion in annual earnings. Given that, a current market cap of $16.6 billion looks mighty cheap. But how likely is the company to return to growth? I am not sure investors should be confident in this occurring. Competition is fierce in the EV space. You have Tesla, legacy competitors, Chinese players selling outside the United States, and other upstart EV brands trying to win customer loyalty. Rivian has a good product, but that does not necessarily mean it can compete and win in this market at scale, which it needs to do in order to succeed. It looks to me like Rivian's product demand is much lower than initially thought, which should keep investors away from the stock. If the company cannot scale customer demand, it will likely never generate a profit, making this a risky stock to buy today. Before you buy stock in Rivian Automotive, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Rivian Automotive wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $656,825!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $865,550!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Brett Schafer has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends Volkswagen Ag. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rivian Stock Dips Below $15: Should You Buy? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
