Latest news with #ID2GTI
Top Gear
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
VW boss: electric ID.2 GTI is "a monster", e-Golf GTI here by 2030
Hot Hatch "I think we're going to surprise you with this car," said boss Thomas Schaeffer Skip 12 photos in the image carousel and continue reading The hotly anticipated electric GTI is the car VW boss has dubbed 'a monster". Speaking to Schaeffer confirmed the ID.2 GTI will kick off the next GTI generation with proper fizz. 'I think we're going to surprise you with this car. [It'll be a] journey. We'll start the whole group of GTI that we bring through with ID.2 GTI.' The GTI isn't planned until next year and details are sparse, though we know a Golf will follow at the end of the decade. Advertisement - Page continues below We also already knew the boss and a few other execs had driven prototypes, and the thing pretty much exists - at least, virtually. 'Oh yeah, we have the designs already ready [virtually]. We know what the vehicle looks like, the dimensions of the platform and the vehicle are clear.' Along with a shiny new platform, Schaefer confirmed LFP batteries will replace the lithium-ion NMC batteries currently in use. While LFP chemistry isn't as energy-dense, it is considered safer. You might like The fact they're locally produced batteries - manufactured at VW's gigafactories in Salzgitter, Austria and St Thomas, Canada – helps the brand avoid additional taxes imposed by rules-of-origin regulations. Elsewhere, Schaefer is also positive about the new 'software-derived' setups of the future. 'The next-generation [software], and the speed you can update the cars is totally different to the old architectures," he said. Advertisement - Page continues below 'The traditional way of how we used to set up a car with hundreds of individual control units developed by [many] individual companies, that connected a little bit like European Union – everybody speaks different languages, so to change anything, or connect every aspect was literally impossible. The effort to keep it error-free in the classic setup was unbelievably greater than the new way, which is so much simpler, and so much easier to programme.' Dodgy digital interfaces and electronic architecture aside, Schaefer didn't sugar-coat the business challenges VW's faced over the last couple of years. Before Christmas last year, thousands of German workers went on strike against planned factory closures and massive layoffs – a first in its 87-year-history, but the boss proudly cited a figure of 13 per cent cost reduction made since the start of the year he attributes to hard work and working together. GTI or no GTI, the fight isn't done yet, mind. 'Super tough targets for this year and next year in the factory…are we where we want to be yet? Not yet, but I'm quite hopeful that with what we set up, we'll get there.' Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
The Irish Sun
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Major car maker to release range of ‘mind-blowing' performance models including reimagined fan favourite hot hatchback
VOLKSWAGEN'S fan-favourite GTI performance range is set to continue into its all-electric future. In fact, the German giant promises it will be better than ever, with multiple model lines confirmed by CEO Thomas Schafer - who claims these new machines will be "mind-blowing" to drive. 3 Volkswagen's iconic GTI range is set to electrify the roads before the end of the decade Credit: Volkswagen AG 3 The ninth-generation all-electric Golf GTI promises excitement and innovation, blending sustainability with the unmistakable GTI spirit Credit: Volkswagen AG 3 Celebrating 50 years of Golf legacy, Volkswagen prepares to redefine hot hatchbacks once again Credit: Getty According to Naturally, a GTI version of the forthcoming all-electric ninth-generation Golf will also arrive by the end of the decade, marking the beginning of 'a whole group of GTI" models set to roll out in subsequent years. Work is reportedly already under way on the development of the first electric GTI models , with particular attention being paid to ensuring they are just as fun to drive as their predecessors. Schafer said: "First of all, can you make an electric Golf exciting? Absolutely. Read more Motors News "We have driven a few prototypes that we have built on the new set-up, and it is mind-blowing." He added that the brand's priority is to engineer its electric GTI range in a way that makes its hot hatchbacks feel distinct from the standard models. Schafer said: "What about the sound? What about the total feel? The handling and so on can be done.' However, with the current petrol-powered car set to remain on sale for several more years, the production version of the electric Golf GTI will not appear in showrooms for some time. Most read in Motors Schafer added: "We have time now, as the Golf is running very well into the end of this decade, and at the end of the decade, we'll bring an electric Golf." He also claimed the electric GTI will be "a monster car", adding: "I'm very happy with the progress. The world's most famous hatchback turned 50 in 2024 – key reasons why it's still going strong and loved by millions 'It's cool, and you can make it exciting. It has to be exciting, and it has to be authentic.' No date has been given for when VW plans to unveil the final version of the ID 2 GTI, although the standard car is due to launch in early 2026. Earlier this year, we revealed how the most noticeable change to the ninth-gen Golf would be its nameplate - with it set to be called the ID Golf. VW 's ID range, which currently includes several models, is how the brand separates its lineup of fully electric vehicles - all developed as part of their commitment to sustainable mobility and reducing carbon emissions. The "ID" stands for Intelligent Design, Identity, and Idea, which reflects the German marque's vision for the future . Last year, the Golf celebrated its 50th year and we were lucky to rub shoulders with the .
Auto Express
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Confirmed: New VW Golf GTI will be electric – and it's a 'monster'
The first all-electric Volkswagen Golf GTI is under development – and VW CEO Thomas Schäfer promises 'it'll be a monster car'. VW will keep updating the current Golf until the end of the decade, at which point a pure electric version will come into play, based on the VW Group's all-new SSP architecture. And with zero margin for error on such an iconic halo car, conceptual work is well and truly underway to electrify the original GTI. 'At the end of the decade we will bring an electric Golf [GTI], and that will be a monster car,' said Schäfer. 'I'm very happy with the progress. It's cool. You can make it exciting, it has to be exciting, it has to be authentic. If we bring a GTI, it has to be a [true] GTI.' The headline news is that the GTI will be front-wheel drive, despite its closest electric sibling – the ID.3 GTX – having a 322bhp motor driving the rear wheels. That's around 80bhp more than today's 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol GTI, but it's possible that the e-GTI will match its stepchange in power, because of an electric motor's ability to precisely control the amount of torque to each front wheel. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The first electric Golf R – also in the plan according to Schäfer – will have the headroom to come with another power leap, because it sticks to the R concept of sending power to all four wheels. The ID.2 GTI – already shown in concept form – will set the benchmark for the new hot Golf, Schäfer said. 'We'll bring through a whole group of GTI, starting with the ID.2 GTI which is the first one coming electrically. When we started this journey, [we told the] the development teams 'we've got to be proud of the GTI of the future', and the team's taking that on.' The brand boss has already hot-lapped the upcoming GTI, expected to hit the market in 2026. 'We've driven a few prototypes on the new set-up, and it's mind blowing. What about the sound? What about the total feel, the handling and so on. It can be done.' Schäfer wouldn't be drawn on whether the GTI would emulate Hyundai's Ioniq 5 N with its simulated gearshifts and soundtrack. It also has a drift mode, electronic playthings that are more the natural preserve of the more hardcore Golf R electric. He did namecheck the GTi suspension, which is sure to deliver the trademark blend of ride comfort and eager turn-in. 'Can you make an electric Golf exciting? Absolutely,' he promised. Digital work on the new Golf package is shaping up, before the car moves into the physical prototype stage. 'We know what the vehicle looks like and [can] sit virtually in the vehicle,' said Schafer. 'The dimensions of the platform and the vehicle is clear, though it's not [fine-tuned] to the last design detail. We have many iteration steps to get through.' Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The SSP underpinnings will be a gamechanger for Volkswagen Group, with all electric cars from Skoda and VW all the way up to Lamborghini and Bentley tapping into the hardware and software modules it introduces. But iterations will be broken down according to vehicle size and cost. 'It's going to be really scalable,' the boss told Auto Express on the fringe of the FT's Future of the Car summit. 'We have certain sizes according to the vehicle, but still the same modules of the key components that can be used across [SSP], so you have the maximum scaling effect, also in purchasing power.' And what's Thomas Schäfer's favourite GTI of all time? 'I think the first one is the most exciting one, because it came out of nowhere and was a total gamechanger. What started as an experiment [became] a trend and stuff like that is legendary.' The first Golf GTI made 108bhp from its 1.6-litre, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder engine. That'll be a world apart from the first all-electric, 300bhp-plus Golf GTI arriving some 54 years later – but hopefully its core DNA will be very much intact. Would you buy an all-electric Volkswagen Golf GTI? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section... Find a car with the experts EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs EV affordability alarm! Running costs are £6k higher than for petrol cars, say car clubs Running costs for car share club EVs are £6k higher than ICE equivalents according to new data Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change The number of MoT failures caused by worn tyres is on the rise, and experts are calling for mandatory follow-ups on advisories Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future Mazda MX-5 goes electric: the iconic roadster's radical future The next Mazda MX-5 roadster is set to be offered as a pure EV, and our exclusive images preview how it could look
