Volkswagen has admitted that its first wave of electric vehicles missed the mark. Now the German brand is promising to bring out a new generation of EVs that are more approachable, more practical, and simply more likeable.
In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, VW’s design boss Andreas Mindt said the company has moved beyond catering to early adopters and now needs to appeal to the mainstream. That means dropping designs that looked like futuristic appliances and instead building cars that feel like Volkswagens again.
Mindt explained that some of the issues with VW’s first generation EVs went beyond styling.
A clear example was the decision to shorten the hood and push the windshield forward, because there was no longer a combustion engine to package. The result was a greenhouse effect in direct sunlight, with interiors heating up quickly and draining battery power just to cool the cabin.
Learning from those mistakes, VW will return to more balanced proportions and user friendly design.
Mindt said the goal is to make vehicles that connect with the brand’s core identity. He pointed to Porsche as the fastest, Lamborghini as the most aggressive, Cupra as the coolest, and positioned Volkswagen as the most likeable.
Part of this strategy will involve dropping the “ID” naming convention.
VW will move back to real names for its EVs, starting with the ID.Every1 concept, which will be given a proper model name before launch. The design language is expected to be fun and approachable rather than cold and overly futuristic.
Volkswagen’s history proves that this approach can work. The Beetle became a global icon not because it was the fastest or most practical, but because it was simple, recognisable, and likeable.
VW came close to recreating that charm with the ID. Buzz, but pricing and positioning held it back.
Now, with sales slipping and rivals pressing ahead, VW knows it needs to get this next generation right.
The company is betting that cars with character, better usability, and stronger identity will help bring buyers back into showrooms.
The question is whether Volkswagen can deliver on its promise. The world is watching, and this time, the brand has little room to get it wrong.
