″ Renaming ″ VW in the US to Voltswagen - a marketing ploy | News from Germany on world events

The German carmaker Volkswagen on the evening of Tuesday, March 30, said that the previously disseminated information about the renaming of the American division of Volkswagen into Voltswagen is an April Fool’s joke and, at the same time, a marketing move aimed at drawing attention to the electric vehicles produced by the concern.

A post posted earlier on the Volkswagen of America website emphasized that the Voltswagen is not just a name change, but a public announcement about the company’s future contribution to the development of electric transport: the new name is derived from the term “volt”, which denotes the unit of measurement of electrical voltage, and reflects the company’s focus on the production of electric vehicles.

The Voltswagen name will be used in advertisements, website and social media for Volkswagen’s American division. In addition, the electric vehicles of the automaker will receive light blue emblems with the Voltswagen logo. Petrol cars will retain their old name and blue emblem with the VW abbreviation.

VW’s ambitious plans

On the eve of the American television channel CNBC reported that a press release appeared on the website of the Volkswagen auto concern about the change in the name of the American division. It was published on March 29, but is dated April 29. The press release was later removed from the site, but a CNBC source confirmed its authenticity.

Volkswagen has repeatedly announced its intention to become the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles. In 2020, the carmaker produced 231 thousand electric vehicles – three times more than a year earlier. Volkswagen plans to launch production of 70 electric and 60 hybrid models by 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

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Author: Andrey Gurkov