The Latest Breaking News from Thomas Schäfer

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

'Best We've Ever Seen:' Volkswagen Reveals More Details On The Next Golf

A few weeks ago, we got a first look at a design sketch of the upcoming Volkswagen Golf Mk9—the ninth generation of the iconic German compact. It is expected to be electric, but it won't arrive until at least 2028.

Motor1 · Apr 24

VW Boss Says Physical Controls Are A 'Non-Negotiable'

Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schafer says that bringing back sensible, physical controls is a 'non-negotiable' for the brand moving forward.

InsideEVs · Apr 1

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

The Electric Volkswagen Golf GTI Will Be a 'Monster'

Volkswagen has teased electric versions of its beloved GTI performance range for years now. The tiny ID.GTI concept from 2023 gave us our first real taste of a performance EV, while the company just recently announced an ID.3 GTI for Europe next year. An electric Golf GTI is also on…

Motor1 · May 14, 2025

Volkswagen CEO on the challenges facing the UK’s favourite car brand

Thomas Schäfer is Volkswagen brand CEO and head of the brand's core group (including Skoda, Seat and Cupra).

The Independent UK · Mar 23, 2025