Latest news with #ThomasSchäfer
Auto Express
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Volkswagen Golf GTI to live on, and it'll be electric
It's official: the first fully electric Volkswagen Golf GTI is under development. This is undoubtedly a crucial moment for this iconic hot hatchback and, in order to keep the scepticism of some fans at bay, VW CEO Thomas Schäfer has promised that the new EV will 'be a monster car'. Advertisement - Article continues below We're yet to hear the exact date when the new GTI is expected to arrive, but in the meantime, we do know that VW will continue to update the current Golf until at least 2030. Conceptual work on the new model is already well underway, though, and while VW is remaining pretty tight-lipped about the details, Schäfer has told Auto Express that he's 'very happy with the progress', adding: 'It's cool. You can make it exciting. It has to be exciting, it has to be authentic. It has to be a [true] GTI.' Confidence certainly seems high at this early stage, and it needs to be because this is by far one of the most important and beloved cars to wear a Volkswagen badge. Keep reading to find out everything we know about the new Volkswagen Golf GTI so far. We know that the new 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 60bhp 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 torque at each wheel. The first electric Golf R – also being planned, according to Schäfer – will have the capacity to come with another power leap, with drive being applied to all four wheels. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Schäfer said the ID.2 GTI – already shown in concept form – will set the benchmark for the new hot Golf. 'We'll bring through a whole group of GTI, starting with the ID.2 GTI, which is the first one coming electrically,' he explained. 'When we started this journey, [we told] the development teams 'we've got to be proud of the GTI of the future', and the team's taking that on.' The CEO has already hot-lapped the upcoming GTI, which is 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 said. However, he wouldn't be drawn on whether the GTI would emulate the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N with its simulated gearshifts and soundtrack, along with a drift mode – electronic playthings that would be better suited to the more hardcore nature of the electric Golf R. 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 [we can] sit virtually in the vehicle,' said Schäfer. 'The dimensions of the platform and the vehicle are clear, although it's not [fine-tuned] to the last design detail. We have many steps to get through.' Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below As our exclusive images show, we expect the next-generation Golf GTI to follow the usual design approach of evolution rather than revolution. Approachability and familiarity are two aspects that have maintained the Golf's appeal to UK buyers over a number of decades, and these qualities could prove essential as the brand tries to woo more customers into making the transition to an EV. The SSP underpinnings will also be a game-changer for the Volkswagen Group. Electric cars from Skoda and VW all the way up to Lamborghini and Bentley will tap 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, because it came out of nowhere and was a total game-changer.' That 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. View Golf View Golf View Golf Would you buy an electric Golf GTI? Share your thoughts in the comments section... 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Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
BYD just fired another shot in China's EV price war — and investors are worried
BYD just fired another shot in China's electric vehicle price war. The Tesla rival cut prices on 22 models last week, including its entry-level Seagull EV. Shares in Chinese EV makers tumbled on Monday as investors fretted over growing competition in the sector. China's EV price war just kicked up a notch — and investors are worried. Shares in some of Tesla's biggest Chinese rivals fell sharply on Monday after a raft of price cuts announced by BYD fuelled fears over the country's brutally competitive EV industry. BYD stock closed 8.6% lower in Hong Kong, after hitting record highs last week. Shares in auto conglomerate Geely and pick-up maker Great Wall Motors fell more than 9% and 5% respectively, while EV makers Xpeng, Nio, and Li Auto also posted falls. The declines follow BYD's decision last week to cut prices on 22 electric and hybrid models until the end of June. The discounts included BYD's already cheap Seagull electric hatchback, which has fallen from 69,800 yuan ($9,700) to 55,800 yuan ($7,750), according to a post on BYD's Weibo channel. China's EV market is in the grips of a brutal price war sparked by Tesla last year, as some 100 brands fight for a piece of the world's largest auto market. Industry figures have warned that the race to the bottom is not sustainable, with many Chinese EV startups still recording billions of dollars of losses every quarter. Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer last year called the price war "ruinous" and said it could not last forever, while the boss of Xpeng warned in November that most Chinese car companies will not survive the next 10 years. BYD's price cuts come despite its sales booming this year — and not just in China. The company is on track to sell more than 5 million cars this year, and sold more electric vehicles than Tesla in Europe for the first time in April. Last week BYD unveiled the Dolphin Surf, the European version of the Seagull. The compact hatchback will go on sale in 15 European markets in June starting at 23,000 euros ($26,000) — about $19,000 less than Tesla's cheapest model. Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Insider
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Insider
BYD just fired another shot in China's EV price war — and investors are worried
BYD just fired another shot in China's electric vehicle price war. The Tesla rival cut prices on 22 models last week, including its entry-level Seagull EV. Shares in Chinese EV makers tumbled on Monday as investors fretted over growing competition in the sector. China's EV price war just kicked up a notch — and investors are worried. Shares in some of Tesla's biggest Chinese rivals fell sharply on Monday after a raft of price cuts announced by BYD fuelled fears over the country's brutally competitive EV industry. BYD stock closed 8.6% lower in Hong Kong, after hitting record highs last week. Shares in auto conglomerate Geely and pick-up maker Great Wall Motors fell more than 9% and 5% respectively, while EV makers Xpeng, Nio, and Li Auto also posted falls. The declines follow BYD's decision last week to cut prices on 22 electric and hybrid models until the end of June. The discounts included BYD's already cheap Seagull electric hatchback, which has fallen from 69,800 yuan ($9,700) to 55,800 yuan ($7,750), according to a post on BYD's Weibo channel. China's EV market is in the grips of a brutal price war sparked by Tesla last year, as some 100 brands fight for a piece of the world's largest auto market. Industry figures have warned that the race to the bottom is not sustainable, with many Chinese EV startups still recording billions of dollars of losses every quarter. Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer last year called the price war "ruinous" and said it could not last forever, while the boss of Xpeng warned in November that most Chinese car companies will not survive the next 10 years. BYD's price cuts come despite its sales booming this year — and not just in China. The company is on track to sell more than 5 million cars this year, and sold more electric vehicles than Tesla in Europe for the first time in April. Last week BYD unveiled the Dolphin Surf, the European version of the Seagull. The compact hatchback will go on sale in 15 European markets in June starting at 23,000 euros ($26,000) — about $19,000 less than Tesla's cheapest model.
Auto Blog
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
VW CEO: All-Electric GTI Will Be a 'Monster Car'
With electrification on its side, the OG hot hatch gets even more sizzle 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. VW ID GTI Concept VW ID GTI Concept VW ID GTI Concept VW's CEO has driven a 'mind-blowing' electric Golf GTI prototype 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. The GTI badge is spreading, according to Schäfer 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. VW ID GTI Concept VW ID GTI Concept Final thoughts 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.
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
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.
