No car company has been burned worse by the implosion of diesel technology than Volkswagen, and now it looks like the company is working the hardest to divest itself from the maybe-gonna-get-banned fuel.
Late last year, four major world cities voted to ban diesel cars from their roads by 2025 and Germany passed a resolution to call upon the European Union to ban all internal combustion engines by 2030.
I would not bet against Europe simply banning diesels from driving, even as the emissions loophole that has kept them going un-fined stays on the books.
So it comes as little surprise to me to see yet another electric car concept from Volkswagen Group. This time it’s an electric SUV for budget brand (and best brand) Škoda.
It’s called the Vision E, and expect to see it debut fully at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show. In terms of size, it’s somewhere between a Ford Escape and a Chevy Equinox. The proposed specs are 225 kW and 500km of range, or 300 horsepower and 311 miles in more familiar terms.
As Europe gets taken over by crossovers, it’s another point that Volkswagen is getting serious about relying on electric cars as its eco option. Volkswagen is showing nothing but electric concepts at its auto show appearances, Audi is showing nothing but electric concepts at its auto show appearances, same with Porsche and now Škoda, too. For the world’s biggest carmaker, this is a pretty clear movement.
If there was ever a backup plan to diesel at Volkswagen Group, it’s this.