NEW YORK — When Volkswagen starts selling its new compact electric crossover, the 2021 VW ID4, late this year, it believes its best opportunity to conquest new customers will be found among some of the industry's most loyal buyers: those shopping for a Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V.
It's what might be termed an ambitious plan, maybe even a crazy one, for a brand with just more than a 2 percent share of the North American market. But VW executives adamantly believe that as much as 30 percent of buyers of the segment-dominating Japanese crossovers are at least EV-curious — that is, willing to consider buying a full-electric vehicle, to help the environment.