Volkswagen electric vehicle sales up 65 per cent, as CEO sees threats from Tesla and Apple

Volkswagen has announced deliveries of fully-electric vehicles increased by 65 per cent in the first quarter of 2022.

Despite issues surrounding the semiconductor chip shortage, the Volkswagen Group says 99,100 electric vehicles (EVs) were delivered to customers by the end of March.

The biggest increase was in the Chinese market, with 28,880 sales – four times the amount sold in the same period last year.

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Europe contributed to approximately 59 per cent of EV sales – at 58,400 deliveries – while the United States accounted for eight per cent, with 7900 sales.

Volkswagen’s ID.3, ID.4, ID.6 and e-Up accounted for the bulk of sales, with 53,400 sales recorded.

This was followed by Audi (24,200), Porsche (9500), Skoda (8800) and Seat/Cupra (2200).

“Demand for our all-electric vehicles is very high worldwide and our order books are thus well filled,” said board member of sales, Hildegard Wortmann.

“The increase in BEV deliveries would have been significantly higher had it not been for the current supply bottlenecks.”

Volkswagen says it is hoping the semiconductor chip shortage will ease towards the end of 2022 to ”provide additional tailwind as the year progresses”.

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Above: Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess.

In an interview with US current affairs show 60 Minutes, Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess touched on the company’s electrification ambitions – as well as the situation in Ukraine, criticism in China and rivalry with Tesla.

”We have to decarbonize the world, because climate change is happening. And to decarbonize the automotive sector, the only way — feasible way forward is electrification,” said Diess, in response to a question surrounding Volkswagen’s global electrification plans.

Diess also highlighted the rise of competitors in the electric car space, namely Tesla and technology giant Apple.

”It's really the new competitors which are especially challenging for us… coming from software background, battery background, Apple being said to entering at some stage, no? Those are probably the competitors we have to take most seriously.”

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Across its portfolio, the Volkswagen Group will launch additional electric vehicles in the next 12 months.

This includes the MEB-based Volkswagen ID Buzz, and the PPE-based Audi Q6 E-Tron, A6 E-Tron and Porsche Macan.