VW postpones Trinity to 2032, electric Golf takes priority

An improved VW ID.4 is to be launched in 2026, followed by the electric Golf based on the SSP in 2028 or 2029

By: Stefan Leichsenring

Aug 14, 2024 at 4:25am ET

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Volkswagen's Trinity project is postponement further as VW Group CEO Oliver Blume has once again pushed back the electric car, which was originally planned for 2026 and then postponed to 2028 at the earliest. Now the talk is of 2032.

The model based on the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) is to be postponed to 2032, reported the Handelsblatt newspaper, which due to the paywall we are quoting here according to n-tv.de. The reason given for this is that the electric Golf is to be the first model based on SSP. This car is due to be launched in 2028 or 2029. The Group also plans to launch an improved version of the best-selling electric Volkswagen ID.4 in 2026, which will be based on an improved version of the familiar Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB).

The VW ID.7, the latest MEB derivative, now offers a range of up to 700 kilometres and 200 kW charging power

There is therefore no need for the model with the working title Trinity before the 30s, reported the newspaper with reference to an internal VW document. In addition, VW seems to expect more from the investment in the E-Golf and the ID.4. Other reasons are the weak demand for electric cars and VW's software problems, which have still not been resolved, an insider told Handelsblatt.

The model was announced in 2021 by Herbert Diess and his brand boss Ralf Brandstätter. An initial teaser image of the silhouette showed a crossover with a steeply sloping rear end:

VW Trinity (first sketch; image source: VW)

At the "New Auto" strategy event in July 2021, a graphic was shown announcing the project for 2026:

Chart from the "New Auto" event: Project Trinity should start in 2026

Shortly after taking office in September 2022, Diess' successor Oliver Blume postponed the project by two years to 2028 at the earliest. One of the reasons was probably the software, which would not be ready by 2026. To save costs, Blume also cancelled the construction of his own Trinity plant on a greenfield site. Instead, the Trinity was to be built in Zwickau, while the SSP-based electric Golf was to ensure capacity utilisation in Wolfsburg, it was said a year ago.

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The bottom line

The industry has been puzzling over the VW Trinity project for three years, and it has been postponed again and again. Instead of 2026, as originally planned, the car will now be launched in 2032, six years later. According to the various VW sketches, it appears to be a crossover, but the size is not clear from them. Attention will now focus more on the electric Golf, which is to be the first model based on the SSP. Compared to the ID.3, the car should at least offer 800-volt technology, but let's wait and see.

Source: Handelsblatt (Paywall) via Reuters