VW, Volvo, JLR rethink EV rollouts

Europe's mass-market and premium brands are taking different routes with their product road maps. Some are emphasizing electric vehicles, while others are adding hybrids.

Volkswagen is still ramping up its EV offerings. The ID Buzz, a retro-inspired model that recalls the design of VW's 1960s microbus, finally will arrive in the U.S. by year end. It was to follow the ID7 electric sedan in VW's lineup, but the German brand has delayed the U.S. launch of that model.

Volkswagen Group of America CEO Pablo Di Si has said there is potential for hybrids in the U.S. lineup, but the brand has yet to confirm one for this market.

Swedish cousins Volvo Cars and Polestar have been converging on an all-EV path, though that could change.

Volvo has vowed to go all-electric globally after 2030. But the brand might be ready to retreat on its EV-or-bust strategy as its battery-powered models struggle to find traction in the key U.S. and China markets.

For Polestar, slowing its EV roll is not an option as the brand was launched as a bold bet on a zero-emission future. Polestar's U.S. lineup will triple this year, with two premium crossovers. Deliveries of the coupe-like Polestar 4 crossover, billed as the brand's fastest production model, will begin in the fourth quarter.
British automaker Jaguar Land Rover still plans to launch the full array of the EVs it has announced, but the timing has slipped on two Land Rover models.

Meanwhile, the company's sole EV, the Jaguar I-Pace, dies this year. But before the end of 2024, JLR said it will debut a Range Rover EV concept in the U.S.

Britain's Ineos Automotive, still a newcomer, will see its second nameplate arrive in the U.S. by year end when deliveries of the Grenadier Quartermaster pickup begin.

From there, Ineos plans to build its brand awareness and marketing.