When news of a leaked press release saying Volkswagen’s American division was rebranding itself as Voltswagen first emerged, I figured the release in question was probably scheduled for 1 April. Because, I mean, it couldn’t possibly be true, could it?
And, it seems, it wasn't. That's despite Volkswagen of America, in its 'new' guise as Voltswagen of America, confirming the adoption of its new moniker in an official statement on 30 March, not 1 April. And, by all accounts, the firm's US PR department assuring any media who queried the move that it was, in fact, real and not an April Fools come early. That led to numerous outfits, including the PA, Reuters, the BBC, USA Today and, yes, Autocar, reporting it as a real move.
Except it, seems, it wasn't. Reuters has now reported that the announcement was part of a marketing stunt, and the change won't actually go ahead, and the release has now been removed from Volkswagen/Voltswagen of America's website. It seems it was either a joke or a marketing stunt that has gone somewhat awry.
Now, it certainly succeeded in garnering publicity, with lots of news stories and lots of opinions given on the matter - including the original version of the piece you're reading now. But now that it has seemingly been unpicked, it doesn't appear to have served its desired purpose: instead of reflecting on VW's electrification programme, people are talking about the merits, or otherwise, of the publicity stunt. So let's unpick it a bit.
The basic explanation behind the 'announcement': with VW’s vast electrification programme about to ramp up with the arrival of the ID 4 in the US, the firm wants to become inextricably linked with electric vehicles. Claiming you're going to adopt a new name with an electrification message built into it is a way for 'Voltswagen of America' to show its commitment and build those links.
Now, as a writer and editor, I love a cheesy play-on-words pun as much as anybody. And Voltswagen is a pretty good cheesy play-on-words pun for an electric Volkswagen. I know this, because Volkswagen has used it as a pun before: if your local Tesco has any of those VW-funded charging points, you’ll have likely seen it on the display screens there. And the firm's done similar things before. In the past, it 'rebranded' its hometown of Wolfsburg as Golfsburg.
So as a slightly frivolous way of reinforcing its commitment to electric cars, Voltswagen works. Call it the Tesla effect. Unburdened by a history of producing gas-guzzling combustion engines, Tesla has become all but synonymous with electric vehicles in the US, and many believe the Californian firm’s EVs are inherently better and more sophisticated than any such car from one of the big legacy firms. That probably rankles VW a bit, and pushing 'Voltswagen' is a way of highlighting the sheer scale and scope of its EV production ambitions compared with Tesla in the coming years.
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I can imagine that Autocar are a bit embarrased by the fact that US VW was planning a April fools joke and you fell for it.
That you in the end got caught out on a April fools joke gone wrong is to my mind being compounded by this article itself.
My first reaction to change to Votswagan was that it was a joke and that other parts of the Company had no knowledge of it meant that it was a joke placed by US VW. Just a cursory bit of digging would have made it abundantly clear that was the case.
Indeed that like all April fools jokes it kinds of falls apart if you are not gullable and just think about it a little kind of shows that Journalism has changed.
NOw it is not about determining the facts but it is about essentially first to print the glossy news and then place your opinion on it.
So lets first pretend that Voltwagan was real. Does that change anything about the company's intent? I would say absolutely not. They have already invested Billions of euros in to the EV manufacture and more into battery technology chnage the name is in truth of little consequence as to whether the ID3 ID4 and future EV are going to be well recieved in the market place it will be more about price verus range verus general performance which will make VW as a company successful that they are doing the necessary investment is why their stock price has risen the point is they are attempting to meet the challenge as incumbent ICE manufacturer.
NOw that is the story about VW what the hell it is going to name itself is pretty much a non story in the scheme of things and as such I would hav thought firstly you would have got a better level of research on it and secondly you would have having found out it was not real owned up to being fooled and that would be the end of it
In the end one of the real problem I see about both articles is that it smack of poor journalism in an age where we can get our news form alternative sources. I now spend more time on Youtube channels givning better insghts to future of EV than to say Autocar indeed you reviews of cars are now not any better than say Transport Evovled for EV news and your opinions seemed to be stoneaged in comparision
Essentially good journalism kills fake news dead. It should kill April fools jokes dead that in both cases you failed is more of the worry than VW failed attempt at humour.
Idiotic Autocar columnist making a mountain out of a molehill. VW screwed up their timing and I think it was a nifty April fool joke but the early leak spoiled the fun and lead our hapless correspondent to go overboard. Hasn't he got anything sensible to write about?
I think we have journalistic failure to see through a april fools joke and then the lack of joirnalistic honesty to basically hold up thier hand and say we should not have fallen for this and it show we are suspectable to believe crap that comes out at press releases without doing any research of our own
It points to the problem of journalism in general as it is now fragmented and is based less on proper research but based on ereguritating stuff in a fanboy manner
it allow car manufacturers not to be quizzed by experts on behlf of consumers and pretty much ssay why I now get most of my car news from Youtube channels which are more proffessional
Um, credulous is the word isn't it?