The Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen) unveiled the new ID.3, which has upgraded performance and design compared to its predecessor, to the global market. Volkswagen plans to strengthen its brand electric vehicle lineup by producing this vehicle in three German factories from the second half of this year.
However, following the previous work, the domestic release plan for this ID.3 has not yet been decided. In this regard, the industry analyzes that Volkswagen does not view the Korean market as an important electric vehicle market and maintains a conservative stance in launching new cars at its global headquarters due to the recent low domestic sales of Volkswagen Korea.
According to related industries on the 8th, Volkswagen unveiled the new ID.3 for the first time in the world on the 1st (local time). ID.3 has returned as a small compact electric vehicle with a sleek exterior and sophisticated interior design, including the latest software, 2 years and 6 months after the first model was released.
The exterior color has become more diverse by adding new colors, including Dark Olivine Green. In addition, pure electric ID in high quality sustainable materials that do not use animal materials. Volkswagen’s strategy for all models in the family was reflected.
Volkswagen’s drive to strengthen electric vehicles continues into the future. Volkswagen plans to introduce 10 new electric vehicles by 2026, including the ID.3.
Mass production of the ID.3 will begin in the second half of this year at three factories located in Dresden, Zwickau and Wolfusburg, Germany.
“With the second generation ID.3, we continue the success story of the ID. family,” said Imelda Rabe, member of the Volkswagen Brand Sales Board of Directors. he explained.
Regarding this, the attention of the domestic car industry is again focused on excluding the Korean market from the ID.3 launch countries. Regarding the domestic release plan, a Volkswagen official replied, “It has not been decided yet.” Even when Volkswagen first unveiled the ID.3 in 2019, it did not introduce this vehicle in the Korean market.
The industry points out that Volkswagen’s ambiguous position in the domestic imported car market is becoming an obstacle to vehicle launches.
Above all, Volkswagen Korea’s position in the imported car market has narrowed considerably. Accumulated from January to February this year, Volkswagen Korea registered 713 units as new cars in Korea. Its overall market share is around 1%. In terms of brand, it is out of the top 10 behind not only Mercedes and BMW, but also Lexus, Porsche, Volvo, and Toyota.
The supply of electric vehicles is also not smooth. Volkswagen introduced the electric SUV ID.4 to the Korean market in August of last year, and the 1,300 units were virtually exhausted in October. Even after that, the contract has been steadily made, but it has not been able to sell this year because it has not been supplied from the head office. According to Volkswagen Korea, domestic sales of the ID.4 will begin in the second half of this year.
Because of this, its presence in the domestic electric vehicle market is also fading. According to the Korea Imported Automobile Association, the best-selling car in the domestic imported electric car market last month was BMW’s i4 eDrive40, with 230 units registered as new cars. On the other hand, the number of new cars registered for the Volkswagen ID.4, which could not be brought in, is zero this year.
An automobile industry official said, “From the perspective of Volkswagen, it can be seen that it is more stable to enter the domestic electric vehicle market after it has been properly formed.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.