AUTONEWS

The big card in the sleeve of VW

The "anxiety of autonomy" will have its days counted, but not in Europe. Under Volkswagen's agreement with the United States of America following the emissions scandal, the German manufacturer accepted a penny in the form of $ 25 billion. This pack includes a $ 2 billion investment to accelerate the transition to electromobility and thereby clean up the brand's reputation with US consumers. As? By giving them (literally) what prevents them from opting for electric vehicles: the tranquility of being able to charge your vehicle whenever they need it.At present, the United States' rolling stock still has a minimal fraction of the most environmentally friendly cars, which is explained (in part) by the absence of a public network where plug-in and electric hybrids can meet their fueling needs . To get an idea, the best network is private - Tesla, whose customers, not only can load fast, but some (the overwhelming majority) still do it to the tassel.Now that the introduction of its new family of electric vehicles is approaching, Volkswagen has commissioned its subsidiary Electrify America to "sow" thousands of points of loading throughout the United States. As the idea is to allow electric vehicle users to travel the country from coast to coast, the Volkswagen network will be connected to other private networks, with drivers being able to carry any of them without having to have an account or card for each operator.In the middle of next year, there will be more than 12,500 freight stations installed in the US Volkswagen will be located in the most populated areas, usually along the coast, and in areas where there is more volume of electric vehicles to circulate. It will be the brand to decide where to place them, since it is also the one that will pay them. Electricity may or may not be charged, at the discretion of the operator of the charging stations.But if you think that the electrification plan of America will be a wasteful investment, let it go. It is good to keep in mind that four of the manufacturers that make up the Volkswagen Group - including the name of the conglomerate - will launch a total of 27 electric models in the coming years.
Moreover, the investment in the new MEB platform - the architecture designed specifically for 100% electric vehicles - will only be monetized if Volkswagen is able to sell the 10 million units it plans to produce. Since the US is "only" the world's second-largest car market, one can deduce that much of this tens of millions will go to the US market. This is confirmed by IHS Markit, according to which 12% of the US rolling stock in 2025 will be represented by BEV or PHEV. Both need electricity and that is where Volkswagen can capitalize, because when its trams hit the market, potential customers will already have the realization that charging will not be a problem. The best example of this comes from the hand of Tesla, whose 11,200 superchargers have allowed it to gain a wide competitive advantage over competitors.In statements to Automotive News, Electrify America vice president Brendan Jones revealed that the investment will be phased in over two and a half years, during which two types of stations will be encouraged: rapid cargo in urban centers, cargo "Ultra" fast on the highways (pass the pleonasm). The first will have three to six chargers with capacities between 50 and 150 kW, the second will be endowed with a minimum of four and a maximum of 10 chargers of 350 kW, which means to get in 10 minutes the electricity needed to cover another 320 km. Also noteworthy is that the ultra-fast stations are compatible with both the CCS (standard) and CHAdeMo, and the installation of 484 is anticipated in the first phase. Level 2 chargers (powers between 50 and 150 kW) will total 2,800 units, distributed across 500 locations, between business centers and residential areas. All this represents only a quarter of the total amount to be invested in the next decade. In other words, if Volkswagen's network coverage comes to $ 500 million, when the $ 2 billion are already in the field, it is almost certain that the brand will have had a good chance of setting up a new business. The commitment is to maintain the network for 10 years. If you give money, it will be (more) a business to explore.