Volkswagen Will Start Using 'Proper' Names Again
Volkswagen has fallen into that trap that so many automakers do: Slapping some numerals onto the backside of a vague set of letters and calling it a day—like the ID.3, ID.4, and ID.7. Granted, the company still has plenty of standard names in its lineup, especially in the US—the Taos, the Tiguan, etc.—but we could see even more traditional names return in the next few years.
VW's head of marketing and sales, Martin Sander, told the German publication
Auto Und Wirtschaft
that traditional names will make a comeback, as opposed to clunky alpha-numerics.
2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz
Photo by: DW Burnett / Motor1
"The cars will get proper names again," said Sander. "Neither the ID.2all nor the ID.Every1 will have those names in series production. We'll announce that when the time comes."
That's good news for a brand that, historically, has had some of the best car names in the business—Beetle, Golf, Thing, and so on. It's still unclear if the "ID" moniker will stick around for VW's electric models, but it sounds like the confusing nameplate could potentially be on the way out.
We've seen other companies change their naming strategies recently, including those underneath the Volkswagen Group umbrella. Audi attempted to
revamp its nameplates
by making its even-numbered cars electric (A4, A6) and its odd-numbered cars gas-powered (A5, A7). But, the company has since reversed course and reverted to using "E-Tron" for its EVs and "TFSI" for its gas cars.
Photo by: DW Burnett / Motor1
BMW is implementing a similar strategy by removing the letter "i" from all of its gas-powered cars and using it exclusively for its EVs—i4, i7. Toyota even recently changed the name of one of the
worst-named EVs
on the market, the bZ4X, to simply "bZ."
VW appears to be the next company in line for a major name change. And we'd welcome it.
The Latest From Volkswagen
The Electric Volkswagen Golf GTI Will Be a 'Monster'
Volkswagen Could Launch an Electric GTI Next Year
Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily.
back
Sign up
For more information, read our
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use
.
Source:
Auto Und Wirtschaft
Share this Story
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Reddit
WhatsApp
E-Mail
Got a tip for us? Email:
tips@motor1.com
Join the conversation
(
)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
ECB cuts interest rates to 2% in effort to boost flagging eurozone growth
The European Central Bank has cut interest rates to 2% in an effort to boost flagging economic growth across the eurozone. The ECB, making its eighth quarter-point cut in a year, said the 20-member currency bloc needed a cut in the cost of borrowing as it reeled from the damage caused by Donald Trump's trade wars. Economic growth has slowed across the eurozone and especially in France, Germany and Italy, while the outlook for next year is weak, according to forecasts by the EU. The move cuts the cost of borrowing to less than half the level in the UK, where the Bank of England last month cut interest rates to 4.25%, and the level set in the US by the Federal Reserve of between 4.25% and 4.5%. The US president has railed against the Fed's chair, Jerome Powell, and what he describes as the Fed's policy of maintaining high interest rates. Related: UK interest rates more uncertain due to Trump policies, says Bank governor On Tuesday, Trump noted the repeated interest rate cuts in Europe, and said: 'ADP NUMBER OUT!!! 'Too Late' Powell must now LOWER THE RATE. He is unbelievable!!!' in a reference to weak private sector payroll numbers given by the US data provider Automatic Data Processing. The ECB cut its main deposit rate from 2.25% to 2% after inflation across the eurozone fell to 1.9% last month, below the central bank's 2% target for the first time since last September. The ECB said that US tariffs would hit growth, but extra government spending on defence would fill some of the gap. 'While the uncertainty surrounding trade policies is expected to weigh on business investment and exports, especially in the short term, rising government investment in defence and infrastructure will increasingly support growth over the medium term,' it said. The role of the ECB president, Christine Lagarde, has come under the spotlight since the ousted head of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, said she had been involved in discussions to replace him. 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
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
The Latest: Trump announces travel ban and restrictions on 19 countries
President Donald Trump has resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term, announcing that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions. Meanwhile, Germany's new leader, Chancellor Friedrich Merz , is meeting Trump in Washington on Thursday as he works to keep the U.S. on board with Western support for Ukraine , help defuse trade tensions that pose a risk to Europe's biggest economy and further bolster his country's long-criticized military spending.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Winners And Losers Of Q1: Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Vs The Rest Of The Automobile Manufacturing Stocks
Wrapping up Q1 earnings, we look at the numbers and key takeaways for the automobile manufacturing stocks, including Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) and its peers. Much capital investment and technical know-how are needed to manufacture functional, safe, and aesthetically pleasing automobiles for the mass market. Barriers to entry are therefore high, and auto manufacturers with economies of scale can boast strong economic moats. However, this doesn't insulate them from new entrants, as electric vehicles (EVs) have entered the market and are upending it. This has forced established manufacturers to not only contend with emerging EV-first competitors but also decide how much they want to invest in these disruptive technologies, which will likely cannibalize their legacy offerings. The 7 automobile manufacturing stocks we track reported a strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts' consensus estimates by 4.7%. Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 6.4% on average since the latest earnings results. Originally founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is an electric vehicle company accelerating the world's transition to sustainable energy. Tesla reported revenues of $19.34 billion, down 9.2% year on year. This print fell short of analysts' expectations by 8.1%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company: Tesla delivered fewer vehicles than forecasted, its revenue in all three segments (Services, Automotive, and Energy) missed, and its EPS fell short of Wall Street's estimates. Tesla delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. The stock is up 38.1% since reporting and currently trades at $328.85. Read our full report on Tesla here, it's free. Created through the acquisition and merger of various RV manufacturers, THOR Industries manufactures and sells a range of recreational vehicles, including motorhomes and travel trailers, catering to consumers seeking the freedom and comfort of the RV lifestyle. THOR Industries reported revenues of $2.89 billion, up 3.3% year on year, outperforming analysts' expectations by 10.1%. The business had an incredible quarter with a solid beat of analysts' EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates. The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 4% since reporting. It currently trades at $85.57. Is now the time to buy THOR Industries? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Founded in 1908 by William C. Durant, General Motors (NYSE:GM) offers a range of vehicles and automobiles through brands such as Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. General Motors reported revenues of $44.02 billion, up 2.3% year on year, exceeding analysts' expectations by 2.7%. Still, it was a mixed quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts' EBITDA estimates. Interestingly, the stock is up 1% since the results and currently trades at $47.68. Read our full analysis of General Motors's results here. Created to provide high-quality, affordable RVs to the post-war American family, Winnebago (NYSE:WGO) is a manufacturer of recreational vehicles, providing a range of motorhomes, travel trailers, and fifth-wheel products for outdoor and adventure lifestyles. Winnebago reported revenues of $620.2 million, down 11.9% year on year. This result surpassed analysts' expectations by 0.6%. It was a strong quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts' adjusted operating income estimates and a solid beat of analysts' EPS estimates. Winnebago had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 1.3% since reporting and currently trades at $35.22. Read our full, actionable report on Winnebago here, it's free. Founded by a former Tesla Vice President, Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID) designs, manufactures, and sells luxury electric vehicles with long-range capabilities. Lucid reported revenues of $235 million, up 36.1% year on year. This print came in 0.9% below analysts' expectations. In spite of that, it was a strong quarter as it logged a solid beat of analysts' sales volume estimates and an impressive beat of analysts' adjusted operating income estimates. Lucid scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 3.9% since reporting and currently trades at $2.23. Read our full, actionable report on Lucid here, it's free. The Fed's interest rate hikes throughout 2022 and 2023 have successfully cooled post-pandemic inflation, bringing it closer to the 2% target. Inflationary pressures have eased without tipping the economy into a recession, suggesting a soft landing. This stability, paired with recent rate cuts (0.5% in September 2024 and 0.25% in November 2024), fueled a strong year for the stock market in 2024. The markets surged further after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, with major indices reaching record highs in the days following the election. Still, questions remain about the direction of economic policy, as potential tariffs and corporate tax changes add uncertainty for 2025. Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. 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
