The Macan, Q6 and ID.4 help Volkswagen’s electric sales

In the first quarter, sales of Volkswagen Group’s electric cars fell sharply in Europe and the United States. For Audi and Porsche, the German giant intends to do better, with new, more efficient and more durable models.

Difficult times for the Volkswagen group and its electric car models. In the first quarter of 2024, the German giant saw its sales decline by 3.3% worldwide. In detail, its European sales lost 24%, while its American sales decreased by 16%. Fortunately, production and sales in China helped support the delivery, with an increase of 91% (from 21,500 to 41,000 copies sold).

The new electric Macan and Q6 e-tron

To keep up with the best figures of its competitors BMW and Volvo, the Volkswagen group relies on the update of its electric SUV ID.4, as well as the release of the electric Porsche Macan and the Audi Q6 e-tron, based on the same technical platform. Audi will continue with the scheduled delivery during the summer, while it will be necessary to wait until the second half of the year for Porsche to finally release its electric Macan, released at the beginning of the year.

These two models are not as available as the recent Volkswagen ID.4, but they will allow the group to gain profit. Porsche also says it has recorded 10,000 orders, just two months after the model was introduced. Sign” very good sent by customers, even though they could not drive », commented Oliver Blume, CEO of Porsche. A sign that was important to find, since the new Macan draws a line under hot engines.

The base price of the Q6 e-tron and the electric Macan are respectively 83,450 euros and 86,439 euros, and quickly rise to more than 100,000 euros on their most powerful engines: the SQ6 from Audi and the Macan Turbo from Porsche. So they remain higher than those of the Tesla Model Y Performance, less than 60,000 euros, which will not be the case for those of the future ID.4.

New ID.4

For this year, Volkswagen is adding a version with an 82 kWh battery. It benefits from the engine launched in the new ID.7, and will allow better freedom and greater power. With the two-wheel drive, we will reach 286 hp (compared to 201 hp before). In the full version, the ID.4 will go from 295 to 330 hp. In terms of autonomy, the new ID.4 will return to racing with 550 km in the WLTP cycle recorded.

The prices of the new ID.4 will also be more attractive, the ticket being 45,990 euros for this Pro version, that is, a price that qualifies for an ecological bonus of 4,000 euros. The Life Edition, for 43,990 euros, will certainly not be overlooked as the price difference is not too great with the high-end version. On the contrary, Volkswagen will have to face Renault with its electric Scénic and its autonomy of more than 600 km, like the Tesla Model Y.

This model of Tesla Y, the best-selling model in the world in 2023, felt that the competition was intensifying and immediately launched a new version, between the Propulsion version and the Long Autonomy version. It has been available since this Thursday for less than 50,000 euros, and it offers the best freedom, thanks to the restoration of the large Tesla battery and the use of one motor on one axle.

In France, you will have to wait a little longer, as like in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, it is not yet shown in the online configurator.