Volkswagen unveils ID. Out!, its latest electric vehicle, confidently proclaiming it as the correct choice.
Volkswagen is changing its approach to naming its electric vehicles, moving away from the ID series names and focusing on classic and heritage-inspired names. This shift is part of a broader strategy to leverage the automaker's heritage and appeal to consumers more effectively.
The decision comes in response to sluggish sales and market preferences favoring more familiar and spacious designs. The ID.5, a model that has not performed well, is being discontinued, indicating Volkswagen's response to the market.
One example of this new strategy is the revival of the "Fire & Ice" name, originally linked to a cult 1990s Golf edition, and its application to modern electric vehicles like the ID.3 GTX Fire & Ice. This move aims to evoke nostalgia and brand heritage while promoting the electric lineup.
Volkswagen is also maintaining steady prices on its ID electric vehicles for 2026 but raising prices on internal combustion engine (ICE) models. This suggests a commitment to EVs but with a strategy recalibration regarding model naming and marketing.
Customers did not seem to warm to the names of the ID series, and Stefan Reindl, a critic, suggests that electric mobility needs strong brands, not new names. He also criticizes the use of acronyms like ID.4 as being perceived more like internal development designations, not like vehicles that customers associate with attributes.
The success of this new strategy remains to be seen, but it seems to be a new approach for Volkswagen. The first model to receive a new name will be the ID.2, and the new name for the ID series will be revealed before the International Motor Show (IAA) in September.
References:
- Autocar
- Motor1
- Car and Driver
- The Verge
- Volkswagen's shift in naming its electric vehicles, moving towards classic and heritage-inspired names, is aimed at appealing more effectively to consumers, as the industry evolves towards electric-vehicles and lifestyle preferences.
- The ID.5, a model that underperformed, is being discontinued, as Volkswagen responds to market preferences for more familiar and spacious designs in both the automotive and finance sectors.
- In an effort to evoke nostalgia and promote brand heritage, the "Fire & Ice" name, originally linked to a cult 1990s Golf edition, will be applied to modern electric vehicles like the ID.3 GTX Fire & Ice, showing the industry-wide interest in transportation's transformation.
- With the first model to receive a new name being the ID.2, and the new name for the ID series to be revealed before the International Motor Show (IAA) in September, it's clear that the finance sector is seen as crucial for the success of this new strategy in the transportation and lifestyle sectors.
