Reuters cites a VW Group spokesperson saying the global recall is necessary because of a fire risk. The issue stems from a potentially defective fuse in the drivetrain. In a worst-case scenario, the fuse won’t work as it should when there’s an overvoltage. To fix the problem, technicians will have to install an insulating mat on the battery’s switch box.

No fewer than 16 cases have been reported thus far at home in Germany, prompting the VW Group to issue a global recall. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) regulator, these vehicles suffer from “inadequate fastening of the engine design cover that can lead to contact with hot parts and subsequently to fire.”

Approximately 42,300 VW Golf, Tiguan, Passat, Arteon, and Multivan T7 vehicles are impacted by the recall, while luxury brand Audi must fix 24,400 units of the A3 and Q3. The rest of the vehicles until 100,000 belong to Skoda and SEAT as the mainstream brands from the Czech Republic and Spain also use PHEV tech developed by their parent company. For example, about 22,000 units of the 2021 Octavia and Superb PHEV have been hit with a recall.

Although the VW Group is pressing ahead with its EV agenda, plug-in hybrids remain important. So much so that the next-generation Audi A4 will bring a more advanced PHEV setup courtesy of a bigger battery pack for a longer electric range. Expect future plug-in hybrids from VAG to cover more than 62 miles (100 kilometers) without sipping any fuel. Hopefully, the German automotive giant will learn from its mistakes and won’t repeat them on next-gen electrified cars.

With VW confirming the Golf and Tiguan will live to see a new generation, it tells us PHEVs won’t be discontinued until the end of the decade or even later.

Source: Reuters

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The VW core brand will allegedly introduce an ID.1 crossover around the middle of the decade that will be followed in 2027 by an ID.2 small hatchback. Skoda is believed to be working on the Elroq crossover for a mid-2024 market launch, while the SEAT Acandra is expected to go on sale in early 2025 as a hatchback. Automotive News reports the Acandra could spawn a second body style, but nothing is official at this point.

These smaller EVs are all rumored to cost from approximately €19,000 and could one day serve as direct replacements of the Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia, and SEAT Ibiza. As a side note, the mechanically related Audi A1 will be phased out after this generation, with the German luxury brand suggesting it will replace it with an electric city car.

Company sources cited by Automotive News say that even though Skoda is leading the development work, these new budget-friendly EVs will be built in Spain at SEAT’s Martorell plant as well as VW’s Pamplona factory. They’ll all ride on a shortened configuration of the MEB dedicated electric architecture and will use the same battery packs found in the ID.3, ID.4, Enyaq, Q4 E-Tron, and Cupra Born.

According to the same report, this new batch of cheaper EVs will benefit from a more advanced operating system typically reserved for vehicles from a segment above. Owners will apparently have access to payment services and take advantage of charging assistance, while over-the-air upgrades could be planned as well.

With the Skoda Citigo-e iV, SEAT Mii Electric, and the VW e-up! on their way out, these upcoming electric cars are necessary in VW Group’s portfolio to fight the Peugeot e-208, Opel Corsa-e, and the upcoming all-electric Renault 5.

Source: Automotive News

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Details about the newcomer are scarce at the moment, but we do know it will be manufactured locally in Spain as SEAT aims to build more than 500,000 units in Martorell for the entire VW Group. SEAT has been tasked by its parent company to build the equivalent VW ID.1, with quite possibly a Skoda version on the way as a replacement for the Citigo-e iV. It’s unclear whether Audi will get a fancier derivative of these three mainstream EVs.

These new EVs will ride on the MEB-Lite platform, essentially a simplified version of the MEB architecture underpinning models such as the VW ID.3, ID.4, Skoda Enyaq, and the forthcoming Audi Q4 E-Tron. SEAT’s “urban electric vehicle” will be positioned below the Born electric hatchback coming later this year. The Tavascan crossover has also been confirmed for production, launching in Europe in 2024.

It is believed SEAT’s pint-sized electric vehicle won’t be a hatchback in the truest sense of the meaning as some say it will have rugged styling cues akin to a crossover. The relatively vague sketch suggests it will be a three-door, but our money is on a more practical five-door layout. We’re hearing the largest battery pack won’t exceed 45 kWh, but that should still give it a generous range considering battery tech could greatly evolve between now and the middle of the decade.

The announcement regarding a more affordable EV was made today at SEAT’s Annual Press Conference during which the automaker made the promise to “put Spain on electric wheels.”

Source: SEAT

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