Because electric cars need to charge, you know?
It’s been said multiple times that EV upstarts like Tesla may be able to make hay now, but they’ll be reigned in by traditional automakers, and Volkswagen has been consistently seen as one of the foremost challengers that the American company ought to be most concerned about. It seems that Volkswagen knows just why Tesla was able to capture its audience as quickly as it has, and so VW’s taking a leaf out of their playbook.
While the company has reiterated on multiple occasions its commitment to electric mobility, and they’ve blown us away with cool, funky I.D. concept cars that we’re promised will make it into production, they’ve said precious little regarding the infrastructure needed to keep electric vehicles going. Now though, the tune has changed, and VW has announced (through an American subsidiary) that it’s going in very, very heavy with charging facilities.
Electrify America, the aforementioned VW Group subsidiary, has announced that it will install chargers at some 100 Walmart locations in 34 US states, as part of its broader goal to have 2,000 chargers across 500 charging station spots across the country, all by June 2019.
“EV owners nee a convenient, reliable, and fast turnaround in recharging their vehicles. Walmart is the perfect partner for Electrify America to bring electric charging services to EV owners who value their time.” — Mark McNabb, President & CEO, Electrify America
All in all, this is a multi-million dollar investment on the VW Group’s part, especially when taken into account the fast-charging stations that subsidiary marque Porsche has committed to offering at its dealerships to service its first all-electric hypercar, the Mission E. The performance marque, just days earlier, alluded to its plans to have some 500 charge points of its own.
What’s evident is that the VW Group isn’t taking the Tesla challenge lightly. Between the Porsche Mission E, a car that promises to shame the Model S dynamically and technologically, as well as the entire I.D. family of cars from Volkswagen to take on the Model 3 saloon (which Tesla still can’t build properly), we reckon that Tesla ought to be properly scared of the VW Group and what it’s capable of.
For more information on Volkswagen, check out our Showroom.
