Tuesday, March 30, 2021

No Joke: Volkswagen Confirms It Will Change Name to Voltswagen in US

THE GUARDIAN: In what was initially thought to be an April Fool’s prank, company confirms name change to reflect its investment in electric cars

For 65 years, Volkswagen has been one of the most popular and best-known names in American motoring, its iconic VW Beetle snaring generations of enthusiasts and helping sell millions of vehicles.
But now, in North America at least, the Volkswagen brand is no more. In what was initially thought to be an April Fool’s prank, apparently thanks to a premature announcement by an overeager publicist, the German auto giant has confirmed its metamorphosis into Voltswagen – an attempt to reflect its investment in the growing electric vehicle (EV) market.

A statement posted to Volkswagen’s US website on Tuesday hailed the move, which takes effect on 21 May, as “a public declaration of the company’s future-forward investment in e-mobility”. » | Richard Luscombe in Miami | Tuesday, March 30, 2021