The Latest Breaking News from Thomas Schäfer

The Next VW ID. Buzz Could Get More Tech And A Lower Price Tag

VW’s boss admits the electric bus costs too much to build. A platform change for the next generation model could change that.

InsideEVs · Oct 13

The Next Volkswagen ID. Buzz Will Fix Its Biggest Problem: The Price

VW's electric Microbus will move to a new platform for its second generation, bringing improvements across the board.

Motor1 · Oct 13

Volkswagen Golf EV Won't Be Here Until 2030, At Least

It is time to add Volkswagen to the growing list of automakers delaying the launch of their electric vehicles. The company's CEO has confirmed that the electric Golf won’t arrive until around 2030 at the earliest, two years later than previously expected.

Motor1 · May 13

Volkswagen Boss Criticizes Pop-Out Door Handles: 'Terrible to Operate'

Volkswagen has taken a lot of flak in recent years for changing things that should’ve been left alone. Examples include cramming most functions into a supersized screen or turning the climate and audio volume controls into touch sliders, which initially weren’t even illuminated. Wolfsburg has heard the criticism and promises…

Motor1 · Sep 12, 2025

The all-electric Polo is confirmed as VW revives classic names for EVs

“We’re taking our well-known names into the future – the ID.Polo is just the beginning,” says Volkswagen boss

The Independent UK · Sep 3, 2025

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Isn't Going Anywhere: 'Definitely Into the 2030s'

Having lost its manual gearbox, the Golf GTI isn’t as desirable as it used to be. You could argue that interior quality has taken a hit compared to the excellent Mk7. Not that the Grand Touring Injection ever had an exciting design, but the Mk8 perhaps looks too restrained. Despite…

Motor1 · Jul 31, 2025

VW's New EV Platform Still Supports Combustion Engines

It’s been a little over four years since Volkswagen announced SSP, its all-encompassing electric vehicle architecture. The Scalable Systems Platform was originally expected to be ready by now, but it has been delayed until later this decade. Multiple reports from German media attributed the setback to VW’s software division, Cariad.…

Motor1 · Jun 6, 2025

VW Confirms New Electric Golf GTI Will Be FWD-Only

It seemed like just yesterday when we were celebrating the return of rear-wheel drive to mainstream cars, thanks to the EV revolution. Front-wheel drive was always a compromise that balanced packaging, manufacturing and cost—and that many enthusiasts lamented.

InsideEVs · May 19, 2025

Volkswagen Is Working On A Bunch Of Electric GTI 'Monsters'

We’ve known about Volkswagen’s plan to make fun-to-drive electric GTI hot hatches, but it seems the manufacturer’s plan extends beyond making hot variants of the ID.2 (Polo equivalent) and next-gen electric Golf. And they should stay mostly front-wheel-drive. 

InsideEVs · May 19, 2025

Volkswagen says 'mind-blowing' electric GTI EVs are coming – here's what to expect and what I want to see

Volkswagen puts fun back on the menu with plans to launch an "entire family" of GTI models in the coming years – here's what we could see.

TechRadar · May 16, 2025