Rising prices: According to VW, combustion engines are becoming more expensive and e-cars more attractive

The new Euro 7 emission standard is expected to come into force in the EU from 2025, which is intended to bring with it stricter pollutant guidelines for vehicles with combustion engines. According to the VW brand boss Thomas Schäfer, this could in turn ensure that combustion engines lose their attractiveness compared to electric cars.

Expensive emission control

According to Schäfer, the reason for this is the more complex exhaust gas cleaning required by Euro 7. Compared to current vehicles, these additional costs should result in between 3,000 and 5,000 euros, which in percentage terms are the most important for inexpensive vehicles. Accordingly, with the new directive it should no longer be possible to offer combustion vehicles in the range of around 10,000 euros.

VW sees electromobility as the solution to this problem, because the new directive has no such effect on electric cars. At least at the moment, these are still a long way from the price threshold mentioned: The cheap electric car from VW itself, the basic version of the VW Up, currently costs just under 15,000 euros.

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From 2025, however, the group wants to bring four more small electric cars onto the market. In addition to the ID.2, a second VW model is said to be planned for less than 25,000 euros, and a corresponding car is also in the works for the Skoda and Cupra brands. However, the future of the Golf series is unclear: According to Schäfer, it is not yet certain whether the effort involved in developing a Golf 9 is still worthwhile. Apparently, VW fears that a new combustion engine series will no longer generate enough sales to recoup the costs.

Source: World via golem