Volkswagen vows to ‘take sales from Tesla’
This brand has lost more customers to Elon Musk’s electric cars than any other manufacturer, but it has plans to turn the tables.
Volkswagen Australia hopes to steal customers back from Tesla next year.
Unable to secure supply of electric cars from its European headquarters, the brand’s local arm has watched as Tesla attracted cashed-up, tech-savvy customers away from Volkswagen.
VW was the most popular brand for Australian Tesla owners prior to electric car ownership, according to a survey released by the Electric Vehicle Council, and the German giant has slipped down the sales charts while Tesla reached new heights.
Glenn Reid, product manager of passenger vehicles for Volkswagen Australia, says delays getting hold of electric vehicles have been “very frustrating” but the brand will reclaim ground with its first battery-powered machine in the Volkswagen ID. 4 next year.
“We’ll take sales from Tesla, most definitely,” Reid says.
“Because our customers are buying Teslas, just because we don’t have an electric car at the moment.
“Our customers are ready for electric cars. A lot of customers have been chomping at the bit to get the ID.4.”
Reid says Volkswagen Australia requested VW’s ID. 3 and ID. 4 electric cars from the moment they were launched, but were denied access as head office prioritised markets with emissions based incentives and tax structures.
“It’s been very frustrating for us,” he said.
“It’s been something that we wanted since it came out, basically. We put our hands up right away.”
An initial wave of demand for electric Volkswagens has eased in Europe, which should make it easier for the local branch to secure steady supply of high-tech models.
Reid says “we should be getting as many cars as we like … “we definitely have aspirations for it to be as popular as Tiguan”.
“We’re not dipping our toe in the water here. We’re going all in,” he said.
“We’re confident in our product offering and we’re confident in our spec and pricing.”
“One thing that sets us apart from new manufacturers like Tesla, or BYD, or things like that is that we know how to build cars dynamically that have really good driving characteristics.
“You drive that [ID. 4], it feels like a Volkswagen.”
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