VW's mobility business, Moia, begins public ride-sharing services in April, as automakers step up investments in potentially lucrative transportation services.

Volkswagen plans to display a fully electric concept of a 1960s-style beach buggy at the Geneva auto show this year.

VW seeks to spur interest in its upcoming lineup of full-electric cars with a modern version of an American beach buggy from the 1960s.

VW Group's sales of electrified vehicles rose 30 percent to about 100,000 last year. About one-third were full-electric vehicles, while the rest were plug-in hybrids.

VW says it may offer European customers the chance to place a deposit on a new I.D. full-electric car in the first half, ahead of the model’s market launch in early 2020.

BMW's i subbrand launched the i3, a full-electric city car with an ultralightweight carbon fiber frame, in 2013. BMW showed that it will continue to push the subbrand to new levels when it previewed the iNext, in September.

BMW’s i subbrand has been the company’s technological trailblazer since the i3 full-electric city car was launched. The flagship iNext concept pushes the subbrand to new levels. The subbrand's boss, Robert Irlinger, spoke about BMW's electrification strategy.

Volkswagen says the MEB platform that will underpin its I.D. electric-vehicle family will be even more scalable than the MQB architecture used for 80 percent of the group's combustion engine cars.