Volkswagen unveils plans for an electric Golf GTI by 2030
Volkswagen has officially confirmed plans to introduce an electric version of the iconic Golf GTI before the decade's end. VW President Thomas Schäfer promises that the new model will be an actual GTI and calls it a "beast".
After years of announcements and concept presentations, such as the ID.GTI from 2023, Volkswagen is preparing to launch the electric Golf GTI. In an interview with "AutoExpress," Thomas Schäfer confirmed that the new electric Golf GTI will appear before 2030.
"At the end of the decade, we will bring an electric Golf [GTI], and that will be a monster car," said Schäfer. "I'm very happy with the progress. It's cool. You can make it exciting, it has to be exciting, it has to be authentic. If we bring a GTI, it has to be a [true] GTI."
Schäfer also confirmed plans to introduce an electric Golf R, which was previously only a subject of speculation. The electric Golf R will have all-wheel drive, while the electric Golf GTI will maintain the characteristic front-wheel drive, with electric motors driving only the front axle.
Both models will be based on Volkswagen Group's new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), which will be used across many of the group's brands, from Skoda to Lamborghini. Schäfer describes the SSP technology as "amazing": "We've driven a few prototypes on the new setup, and it's mind-blowing."
The electric Golf GTI will appear in about five years, with the electric Golf R likely to follow later. However, the first electric model in the GTI series will be a variant based on the ID.2 and available exclusively in Europe. It is the production version of the ID—the GTI concept from two years ago. The ID.3 GTI will also debut in Europe next year.
