Volkswagen showcases new EVs and ‘shifting future perspectives’ of dealerships

Volkswagen has gathered 13,000 car retailers in Hamburg to showcase its latest electric vehicles (EV) and “shifting future perspectives of the dealerships” at a global retail conference.

The car manufacturing giant is showcasing its forthcoming ID.7 flagship EV and its zero-emissions ID.2all hatchback at the event which, it said, would also give its retail partners fresh insights into the way it plans to position itself to bring a new “Love Brand” philosophy to life.

A “sneak peek of the next generation Tiguan SUV and the future of the Passat will also be on the agenda, VW said.

Imelda Labbé, VW’s board member for marketing, sales and aftersales, said: “Car dealerships play a key role in vehicle sales today and will continue to play this role tomorrow.

“This is why we really want to have our dealers join our journey into the future, generate enthusiasm for our brand and jointly tackle future challenges.”

AM understands that Volkswagen Group brands Audi, Cupra, Seat, Skoda and VW will now transition to an agency model for EV sales in 2024 after the new distribution model’s roll-out was put back from this summer.

VW – the UK’s best-selling car brand in 2022 – plans to produce only EV models in Europe from 2033 and will introduce 10 new e-models by 2026.

At this week’s brand showcase event Labbé is being joined by Volkswagen chief executive Thomas Schäfer, Kai Grünitz (board member for Technical Development) and Andreas Mindt (head of Volkswagen Design).

Schäfer said: “We are making Volkswagen a true Love Brand once again. Our dealers will play a key role in this process – because they are the individuals who have direct contact with our customers.

“The aim (of this event) is to jointly discuss the shifting future perspectives of the dealerships. After all, we can tackle the transformation of the traditional car business only with the help of our dealers.”