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Save the Date!
VW’s world premiere of its ID. Buzz, the production version of the 2017 Detroit auto show concept, is Wednesday March 9, 2022 at 1pm EST. You can watch this on YouTube: YouTube.com/VW.
Expect two sizes: a shorter European one with two-row seating in passenger and cargo van models; a longer wheelbase version with three-row seating for the USA. A camper is in the works. VW plans U.S. deliveries (passenger type) of this electric vehicle during 2024.
That Sinking Feeling
The car-cargo ship, the Felicity Ace, transporting nearly 4,000 VW Group vehicles, sank on March 1, 2022 reports Automotive News. The ship headed from Europe to the U.S. caught fire on Feb. 16. After it crew safely evacuated, experts tried dousing the blaze, which engulfed electric vehicle batteries.
The beleaguered ship sank about 220 nautical miles off Portugal’s Azores Islands while under tow due to rough seas and structural problems. VW lost an estimated $155 million worth of inventory. VW, Audi and Porsche dealers are notifying customers whose vehicle cannot be delivered.
VW Predicts Production Cuts
VW expects to idle more plants in Europe due to shortages of key parts from its Ukrainian suppliers. VW already announced cuts in Golf output in Wolfsburg starting March 6. Even earlier, VW announced halting electric vehicle production in Zwickau and Dresden.