Volkswagen I.D. lineup
Much like its German automotive rival Daimler, Volkswagen is planning to go big with its electric and automated truck and bus plans. In total, VW Truck & Bus will invest some €1.4 billion ($1.7 billion) into electric power-trains, autonomous systems and cloud-based software.
The company intends to develop its own electric trucks and buses, and will spread those vehicles into other Volkswagen Group brands - like Navistar, MAN and Scania.
The first VW-Navistar medium-duty electric truck is scheduled for launch in 2019.
According to the VW, its all-electric, commercial truck - the e-Delivery, will be produced by Volkswagen in Brazil, and will arrive in 2020.
Electric buses (the MAN and Scania) will enter market in 2018. Via Bloomberg:
"“We believe in a wide range of alternative powertrains and fuels, depending on local availability, social and local demand and customer requirements,” Renschler said at a press event. “Therefore it is crucial that policy makers adopt a technology-neutral approach" in any regulations.Electric trucks for local deliveries will probably exceed a 5 percent market share by 2025, according to Renschler. That compares to a forecast of about 25 percent for battery-powered autos. Commercial-vehicle manufacturers have been slow to develop electric models as loads are heavier than for cars and they serve a wider range of industry needs."
source: Bloomberg
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