Thomas Ulbrich, head of Volkswagen’s new mobility business unit for software and self-driving cars, has told Automobilwoche that the VW brand has the most ambitious target of all the group brands, which include Audi, Skoda, Seat etc.

Ulbrich explained that the Volkswagen brand has always been at the forefront of these issues in the group, and it feels obliged to set such high targets. He also acknowledged that the revised target of at least 80 per cent of electric vehicle sales contribution to total retail number by 2030 in Europe is extremely ambitious.

The Volkswagen official believes this revised target shows the automaker’s intent and commitment to the electrification strategy.

The German auto major is not lifting its EV targets for other major markets like China and US, though. In these markets, Volkswagen aims for at least 50 per cent of total sales to come from battery-powered pure electric vehicles.

In 2022, fully electric cars comprised just over 10 per cent of Volkswagen’s total passenger vehicle sales. The automaker is now gearing up to launch a slew of new and refreshed models under its ID-badged range of pure electric cars in a bid to reach its ambitious electrification goal in Europe