Electric
Volkswagen’s R brand will be an ‘all-electric premium performance brand’ by 2030
Volkswagen has confirmed once again that its R performance brand is set to go all-electric by 2030, with “several electric R models in the planning stages”.
What might they be? Well, we’ve long thought that a twin-motor, all-wheel drive ID.3 R was in the pipeline, so that could be first up. We haven’t been too enamoured with the ID.4 and ID.5 GTX performance models so far though, so we’d hope for a little more differentiation if they get given the R treatment too.
Whether we’ll see any more R-badged hybrids similar to the plug-in Touareg in the near future is still unclear.
“We are currently assessing various concepts and possibilities but will only offer R models that meet our requirements,” says a Volkswagen press release. “One thing is certain: the future of R is electric.”
VW also confirmed that it would continue to ‘develop all of its R models on the racetrack’ and that 85 per cent of current R customers had responded to a survey saying that they were interested in electric mobility.
When it does become an EV-only sub-brand, R models will also get exclusive charging options and an ‘accelerated order process’ that VW claims is akin to ‘the fast lane at the airport’ in order to fulfil the premium part of R’s remit.
Fancy an R-branded EV?
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Keyword: VW says “several” electric R performance cars are in the pipeline