Volkswagen

VW subsidiary Moia announced today the series production version of the fully autonomous ID Buzz minivans that will comprise the company’s robotaxi fleet in Los Angeles in 2026. If you’ve ever ridden in a Waymo, you’ll recognize a few familiar designs, like “start/stop” buttons, an external keypad for entry, and plenty of cameras inside and out the vehicle. I also noticed a bunch of smart choices, like luggage carriers in place of a front passenger seat and linoleum flooring for the passenger who inevitably spills their full Starbucks drink (or vomits, I guess).

The Lanzador EV concept-based vehicle will also “allow for up to 2,000” horsepower according to Volkswagen Group and Porsche CEO Olliver Blume, who shared the details at an annual media conference. Future Audi, Porsche and Bentley vehicles will share this new platform, however, Blume teases that the Lamborghini will have “a very specific set-up.”

Volkswagen previewed its ultra-low cost €20,000 ID EVERY1 electric vehicle yesterday, but the press material didn’t mention that it’s the first EV to launch with technology developed by Rivian, thanks to their $5.8 billion joint venture.

Along with the event launch date, VW Group CEO Thomas Schäfer posted a new sketch on LinkedIn showing a cute high-roofline crossover that probably won’t come to the US. The EV was referred to as the “ID. Every 1,” but that’s only the show car name.

The availability of new parts has allowed Volkswagen to lift the stop-sale order it put in place last September, after hundreds of ID.4 owners complained about their doors randomly opening while driving (including your’s truly). The door issue certainly took some of the shine off the ID.4 — VW said it only sold 646 in Q4 of 2024, a 94 percent drop year-over-year.

ABC News reports the deal covers over 120,000 workers, but will cut over 35,000 jobs by 2030 via early retirement and buyouts. It also outlines production plans and locations for future vehicles, including an electric Golf, Q4 E-tron, ID.7, and another EV based on the SSP platform.

Sweden’s Northvolt filed for Chapter 11 this week after racking up $5.8 billion in debt and burning through $30 million in cash. The company had investments from Volkswagen and Goldman Sachs and orders from Audi, Porsche, and BMW.

To celebrate its recent coupling, Volkswagen and Rivian brought a few journalists to its new Palo Alto-based office to see an example of the type of EVs they plan on building together. (Handelsblatt’s Felix Holtermann posted the first pic to his LinkedIn.) The unmarked VW test vehicles are running on Rivian’s software and electrical architecture, which the company boasts uses fewer electronic control units and less wiring than most other EVs.

The SUV pioneer that is now owned by Volkswagen plans on revealing its first battery-powered vehicle on October 24th, according to a banner on the company’s site. No specifics yet, but we’re likely to get a truck and/or an SUV, something designed for off-roading, while also being perfectly at home in a Target parking lot. Expect lots of “chunky” buttons.

The months-long test included over 1,000 charging cycles, with the batteries retaining 95 percent of their energy capacity, according to QuantumScape, a San Jose-based startup backed by Volkswagen and Bill Gates. That’s better than the industry standard of completing 700 charging cycles while retaining 80 percent capacity. Most EVs use “wet” lithium-ion batteries containing liquid electrolytes to move energy around. Solid-state batteries, which have been slow to come to market, promise faster charging speeds, more capacity, and longer range vehicles.