Category: Rumors

The all-new Volkswagen ID.Golf and other models based on the Volkswagen Group’s new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) might enter the market later than expected.

According to a German publication, Manager Magazin (via Electrive), the market launch of the Volkswagen ID.Golf has been postponed by 15 months to 2029, while a large SUV called the T-Sport will not be ready until 2031, three years later than initially planned.

The article says that the Volkswagen Group Board of Management made the decision to postpone SSP-based models on 2 July, although there is no official confirmation.

According to the report, several reasons behind the postponement exist, including the one that has affected Volkswagen for a long time—software issues. The all-new E3 2.0 software architecture for the SSP platform, developed in-house by Volkswagen’s software subsidiary Cariad, is behind schedule.

The recent announcement that Volkswagen is teaming up with Rivian on software, through a $5 billion agreement would be a sign that the software really might be an issue. There is also an unofficial hint that initially the SSP would use an “Adapted E/E Architecture”, before switching to Volkswagen-Rivian-developed software in early 2030.

The Volkswagen Group will have no choice but to use the current MEB, new MEB+ platforms, including the MEB-Small announced in 2021, and the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE), longer than initially planned. The SSP was expected to replace almost all other platforms with several versions of SSP and unified battery cells—at least that was the plan in 2021.

Porsche reports that its global car sales during the second quarter of 2024 amounted to 78,305, down nearly 10% year-over-year. It was the fourth negative quarter in a row.

The sales issues also concern the all-electric Porsche Taycan model, which in Q2 noted a 48% year-over-year decline to 4,602 units. It was the second time Taycan’s sales were cut in half, but we also know that the model awaits its new 2025 model year version with a set of noticeable upgrades.

According to Stuttgarter Zeitung (via Electrive), Porsche is considering limiting the production of the Taycan to a single shift in response to weakened demand. There is no official confirmation of this rumor, but the German media described it as a “likely” scenario.

We assume that all depends on the inflow of orders for the upgraded Porsche Taycan version, which offers a higher capacity battery and longer range, quicker acceleration, and faster DC charging, among other improvements.

One of the most interesting parts of Stuttgarter Zeitung‘s article is that the slump in the global e-car markets is reaching Porsche with a slight delay compared to other manufacturers.

Porsche BEV sales in Q2’2024 (YOY change):

During the first half of the year, sales of the Porsche Taycan decreased by 51% to 8,838 units or 5.7% of the company’s total volume.

Porsche BEV sales in Q1-Q2’2024 (YOY change):

• Taycan: 8,838 (down 51%) and 5.7% share
  including 2,054 in the United States (down 35%)

For reference, Porsche Taycan’s global sales in 2023 amounted to 40,629, 17% more than in 2022, and accounted for 12.7% of the total volume.

Porsche does not report the number of plug-in hybrid sales for the Cayenne and Panamera because they are counted together with ICE versions.

The slowdown in EV sales does not mean that Porsche will not continue its electrification efforts. In the second half of 2024, Porsche will launch the Porsche Macan, based on the Volkswagen Group’s all-new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) platform (see an overview here).

According to the company, the new model “recorded a very pleasing order intake,” indicating “great demand.”

The all-electric successor to the Porsche 718, a two-seat EV, and the large electric SUV K1 from Leipzig are also on the horizon.

Fifth Third Bank has agreed to pay restitution to auto borrowers and a $5 million civil penalty to settle Consumer Financial Protection Bureau allegations it mishandled the “force-placed insurance” it applied to thousands of customer cars, the agency said.

*Update: A BMW spokesperson reached out to InsideEVs to dispel the rumor of a new 6 Series. We’ve updated the text after BMW issued this statement:

While as a matter of policy BMW does not comment on third-party speculation regarding future product development, given the attention recent stories have received, we feel it necessary to clarify that there are currently no plans to reintroduce the BMW 6 Series to the market for model year 2026, despite what is being widely reported in automotive media circles. Furthermore, BMW has made no official statement on the future of a successor to the BMW XM.

When BMW announced that it was launching a big and heavy plug-in hybrid SUV as its first dedicated M model since the mid-engined M1, the news got a lukewarm reception from fans of the brand, as did the XM when it was launched. A new report suggests BMW is dropping plans to launch a fully electric version of the XM, scrapping the model altogether and launching something much closer to its brand ethos.

According to a report by Automotive News, which quotes an unnamed supply chain insider, the electric XM codenamed G79 was expected to enter production at BMW’s US plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2028.

BMW will keep the XM plug-in hybrid in production until November 2028, and until then, it will probably receive a mid-lifecycle refresh to update its controversial design.

BMW will launch a new 4 Series coupe, which will most likely be built on the Neue Klasse platform, so it will only be available with electric power.

Not having several separate coupe models makes sense for BMW since these are fairly low-volume models. Mercedes-Benz did the same when it discontinued the C- and E-Class coupe models and replaced them with a single model, the CLE. However, Mercedes has no plans to make an electric version of the CLE because its platform doesn’t support it.

Victims of ransomware attacks deal with complex circumstances when considering whether to pay criminals the money they seek.

The temporary shutdown of the car dealership management system CDK following cyberattacks complicates life for auto retailers’ finance and insurance offices. However, it’s not insurmountable, according to experts.

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee’s approval gives the Federal Trade Commission $388.7 million in funding but blocks the agency from using that money to roll out or enforce the CARS Rule on auto dealerships.

Dealerships can work more efficiently and manage the web of documents that comes with every sale without an expensive technology overhaul.

Deception comes at the most vulnerable time in the car-buying process.

Stakeholders in automotive finance and insurance have filed amicus briefs offering the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals additional perspectives as it considers the Federal Trade Commission’s impending CARS Rule for dealerships and the National Automobile Dealers Association and Texas Automobile Dealers Association’s challenge to it.