Volkswagen's new cut price EV will no longer have input from Renault.
Negotiations between Volkswagen and Renault for the development of Wolfsburg’s entry-level all-electric ID.1 have come to an end less than five months after the joint venture talks commenced.
While seemingly still on the drawing board for debuting in 2027, the breakdown in talks seemingly came by way of mutual agreement, though no reasons were provided, according to a report from Spain.
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In December last year, it was reported that the partnership would have resulted in the ID.1 being based on the electrified CMF-B platform as the reimagined Renault 5, renamed AmpR Small, due to Volkswagen’s own MEB Entry being too expensive and unable to deliver on the promise of an EV below the targeted €17 000 (R334 846).
Wolfsburg’s second link-up after Ford, which so far resulted in the Explorer EV based on the ‘full-size’ MEB architecture, the use of the AmpR Small would not only have been cheaper but increase production by an additional 50 000 units to a total of 250 000 units.
According to motor.es, Renault boss, Luca de Meo, has expressed doubt as to whether Volkswagen would enter into a joint venture agreement for the use of a platform that also underpins the next generation Twingo in 2026.
At the time, it was reported that the AmpR would have contributed to Volkswagen’s overall cost saving of €10-billion by 2026 as announced by CEO, Thomas Schaefer, in April last year.
“This will enable us to safeguard jobs, finance our future from our own resources and continue to invest in new vehicles and technologies, in the modernisation of our plants and in staff training,” AFP quoted former Volkswagen South Africa boss Schaefer as saying.
The future of the ID.1, which will fill the position left vacant by the now discontinued up!, seemingly secured in spite of that of the ID.2all being unknown after confirmation earlier this month that the Polo would continue to be sold in Europe until 2030, the motor.es report states it will ride on a Volkswagen platform, most likely the MEB Entry slated for the ID.2all.
As it stands, no official information continues to be known, though expectations are that an announcement ending the end of the partnership talks could be issued within the coming weeks.
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