German auto giant Volkswagen is reportedly delaying the launch of its flagship Trinity electric car again, with a battery-powered version of its iconic Golf set to debut earlier.
Handelsblatt – by using European Automotive News – the ninth generation electric vehicle reports Golf could debut before 2029, despite Volkswagen's speculation recently postponed its launch from 2028 for 15 months.
As previously reported, the electric Golf, codenamed ID. Golf, will be the brand's first model to be based on the Scalable System Platform (SSP), an electric vehicle architecture originally intended to launch in the flagship Trinity model.
However, it won't be the first car to use SSP: an electric Audi A4 with Volkswagen Group architecture is reportedly coming in 2028.
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Trinity teaser
The latest report also says there has been another significant delay in the launch of Trinity, as it was initially scheduled to launch in 2026, then 2028, 2030 and now 2032, according to Handelsblatt.
Previous delays have been attributed to software issues as Volkswagen aims to develop a car that could rival and surpass Tesla's semi-autonomous driving capabilities.
Volkswagen planned to build a dedicated plant for Trinity, investing €2 billion (A$3.3 billion) in a plant that was expected to produce one car every 10 hours.
In October 2023, the company abandoned those plans, confirming instead that the Trinity and the electric Golf Mk9 would be built at the Zwickau plant, where it currently makes the ID.3 Volkswagen, ID.4And ID.5and also Cupra BornAnd Audi Q4 e-tron.
Handelsblatt The latest delay is also said to help Volkswagen Group recoup some of the development costs of its existing MEB and PPE platforms, the former of which is due to be upgraded in 2026 through a partnership with Rivian.
Volkswagen is one of many automakers that has adjusted its plans to develop and produce electric vehicles after demand for battery-powered vehicles declined worldwide.
Current CEO Oliver Blume has also been cutting costs since replacing former chief Herbert Diess, who invested heavily in electric vehicles and frequently praised Tesla for its market success.
As reported last month, the petrol Golf is expected to remain in production alongside the all-electric model until 2035 if demand for electric vehicles does not return to previous levels.
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