Volkswagen Ready To Throw Out Its EV Identity For Something We All Know And Love

But it has now emerged, or rather been confirmed, that Volkswagen will give up its strange EV-specific nomenclature in favor of more common names everyone knows.

Don't expect the ID. Buzz to go anywhere anytime soon, but for future models, the ID name could be ditched in favor of names with a history behind them. That's according to an interview between German publication Auto & Wirtschaft and VW's board member for sales, marketing, and after-sales, Martin Sander.

ID Concepts To Adopt Normal Names In Production
The German automaker has shown off several ID concepts of models yet to enter production, including the ID. EVERY1, ID. 2all, and ID. GTI Concept 01. While something like "ID. GTI" would work to showcase that the car is an electric GTI, the others are cumbersome. But when they enter production, Sander says they'll get real names.

"The cars will get proper names again. This question will arise specifically with the market launch of new models – neither the ID. 2all nor the ID. EVERY1 will have those names in series production. We'll announce that when the time comes."

- Martin Sander, Board Member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales, Volkswagen Passenger Cars

But just what those names will be hasn't been divulged. Volkswagen has been a brand that hasn't often strayed from its naming conventions, with decades and generations of vehicles adopting common nameplates like Golf, Polo, Jetta, and Passat instead of being rechristened every few generations. It's unlikely the brand will deviate from this strategy, but a we've seen with the onslaught of T-named SUVs for a variety of markets around the world, the brand is also not averse to something new.

Potential Names Ripe For Revival And Continuation
While a model like the ID. Buzz likely won't see its name changed - it's easily identifiable and sounds much like the old 'Bus' name used for the Type 2 buses of yesteryear - we see no reason not to rename the likes of the ID.7.

The ID.7 is theoretically the replacement for the Passat, and the old name could easily be reinstated in lieu of the Passat being discontinued entirely in gas form. The same is likely to be true for the production ID. 2all, which is probably going to adopt the Polo nomenclature instead of simply being called the ID.2. Although the ID. 2all concept is smaller than a Golf in size, the EV platform means it's more spacious than the Golf. While this model and the smaller ID. EVERY1 are unlikely to make it to America, executives have strongly suggested they want the GTI version stateside. Since the Polo nameplate is relatively unknown to the modern American audience, this may adopt the ID. GTI name.

As for other models, the Golf name is likely to return as an EV, possibly in place of the next-generation ID.3. Where does that leave the ID.4 crossover? Most would assume it would adopt the Tiguan name but as VW has just launched an entirely new Tiguan in Europe, and rebadged the new Tayron as the brand-new USDM Tiguan, that seems unlikely. Instead, we imagine VW will dip into its bag of other T names for that, when the time comes, with options like Taos, T-Roc, and T-Cross all at VW's disposal.

Automakers Quickly Learning People Don't Want EVs That Aren't Familiar
What we're seeing at the moment is an EV industry in a state of flux. A decade ago, VW didn't want its EVs to look or sound different, and launched the VW e-Golf in the US - albeit as a compliance model. Then came the shift to unique names and designs for EVs to make them stand out, with automakers claiming at the time that EV fans wanted something different. But over the last few years, we've seen a shift back to the 'old ways' as automakers learn that sometimes, people just want the car they know and love with a new powertrain technology. BMW uses the 'i' prefix, but launches its cars as traditional 'Series' with familiar looks. The 7 Series and i7 look the same, as do the 5 Series and i5; they just have different propulsion methods.

Mercedes-Benz has learned this lesson the hard way, and its Mercedes-EQ sub-brand has seemingly floundered. It's not hard to understand why; if Mercedes truly believed the EQS was the S-Class of EVs, why wouldn't it simply all it the S-Class? It's for this reason we believe the new hybrid and electric ES is a stroke of genius from Lexus, as it will be a true litmus test for the demand of EVs in a luxury segment without peer pressure and awkward naming swaying buying decisions.