Tag: VW

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles celebrates its 75th anniversary with the official launch of the all-new generation The All-New Caravelle in Taiwan today (October 2nd). Positioned as a "classic German luxury commercial vehicle," this flagship model not only won the 2025 Red Dot Design Award but is also the only vehicle in its class to offer a 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system. Inheriting 75 years of classic heritage, redefining the luxury commercial vehicle: Since the debut of the first-generation T-series Transporter in 1950, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has gradually established itself as a "new benchmark for luxury commercial vehicles" thanks to its German craftsmanship and multi-functional features. The Caravelle series has been available in Taiwan for over 20 years, enjoying popularity among professional rental companies, five-star hotels, and high-end buyers. It is also widely used for business receptions, tourism, logistics transportation, and even family travel. This update, after a five-year hiatus, completes Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Taiwan's product lineup, encompassing the Multivan, ID. Buzz, and Caravelle lines. The all-new Caravelle, a next-generation design winner of the Red Dot Design Award, continues the T-model family styling, combining "practical aesthetics" with intelligent technology through streamlined proportions and the classic Bulli Line. The front adopts the latest family design language, paired with full LED lighting components, ensuring both high visibility and driving safety. Since its debut at the 2024 IAA Motor Show in Germany, this year's Red Dot Design Award solidifies its status as a representative work of the Transporter/Caravelle series, embodying both aesthetics and functionality. Jason Statham serves as the brand ambassador, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, the designated vehicle for the Golden Bell Awards, has invited international film star Jason Statham to serve as its global brand ambassador, echoing his professional and reliable image in the "The Transporter" film series, adding a distinctive touch to the Caravelle. Simultaneously, the All-New Caravelle will also be the designated vehicle for the 60th Golden Bell Awards in Taiwan, providing attendees with a comfortable and symbolically meaningful mobility experience. The All-New Caravelle features a comprehensive upgrade in power and space. All models are equipped with a 2.0-liter TDI turbocharged diesel engine, offering 150 PS and 170 PS outputs, both paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. It also introduces the class-exclusive 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system for the first time, enhancing driving safety and terrain adaptability. The long-wheelbase version boasts a length exceeding 5.45 meters, with a corresponding increase in wheelbase and cabin length, resulting in over 3 meters of spacious interior. The interior features a 3-3-3 nine-seat layout, with the second row featuring three individual seats...

Volkswagen showcased its upcoming entry-level electric vehicle, the ID.EVERY1, at an event in Wolfsburg, Germany. Designed for the mass market, it offers a smart and flexible user experience while emphasizing a reasonable price. The model presented was still a concept design, with technology potentially derived from Volkswagen's collaboration with Rivian. Volkswagen plans to officially launch the production version in 2027, with an expected price of €20,000 (approximately NT$708,623.75). In addition to the ID.EVERY1, Volkswagen plans to launch at least four more front-wheel-drive, affordable entry-level electric vehicles (including the ID.EVERY1) by 2027, aiming to promote electric vehicles more widely. Similar strategies are being adopted by companies like Tesla and Foxconn's MIH, which also plan to launch affordable electric vehicles to compete with Chinese brands in the price segment. The ID.EVERY1 is equipped with a 70kW (approximately 94 horsepower) electric motor, capable of accelerating to over 80 mph (approximately 130 km/h) and boasting a maximum electric range of over 155 miles (approximately 250 km). Its compact design accommodates four passengers (including the driver) and provides a cargo volume of approximately 10.8 cubic feet (approximately 0.31 cubic meters). However, Volkswagen currently only plans to offer the ID.EVERY1 in the European market and has no plans to offer it in other markets such as the United States at this stage.

Volkswagen AG recently announced a joint venture with Rivian to strengthen their investment partnership. The $58 billion deal, up from Volkswagen's initial $50 billion commitment, will allow the two companies to share key technological resources and provide more funding for the currently unprofitable Rivian. Rivian plans to launch its smaller, lower-priced SUV, the R2, next year, while Volkswagen, through the joint venture, expects to launch vehicles equipped with Rivian technology by 2027. In this joint venture, Volkswagen and Rivian developers and software engineers will collaborate in California, and plans to establish three additional R&D sites in North America and Europe. The goal is to develop vehicles using the new technologies at a lower cost. In addition to its partnership with Volkswagen, Rivian has previously received a significant investment from Amazon and will supply 10 electric vans to Amazon, while also competing with Tesla in the North American electric vehicle market.

Last year, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles showcased the all-electric ID. Buzz in Taiwan and announced the upcoming introduction of a long-wheelbase version. Today (September 13th), Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles announced that it will open eight dedicated showrooms across Taiwan to display the ID. Buzz Pro S long-wheelbase 7-seater version, and pre-orders will begin immediately. Simultaneously, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also announced that the single-color version of the ID. Buzz Pro S long-wheelbase 7-seater will be priced at NT$2,398,000, while the limited-edition two-tone version will be priced at NT$2,486,000. The two-tone paint option is priced at NT$158,000, and will be available as an early bird at NT$88,000 during the initial launch period. Currently, the ID. Buzz Pro S is the only German-made, all-electric 7-seater SUV in its class. It features a 91kWh high-efficiency lithium-ion battery module, delivering a maximum output of 286 horsepower and 57 kg/m of torque. WLTP specifications indicate a maximum range of 454 to 487 kilometers, and it supports fast charging up to 200kW. The exterior design is based on the classic Volkswagen T1 van, maintaining a short front end and low-drag aerodynamic design. It utilizes Volkswagen's latest MEB electric vehicle chassis, measuring 4962 x 1985 x 1927 mm, with a long wheelbase of 3239 mm and an interior height of 1330 mm, providing a more spacious interior. The long-wheelbase 7-seater version features sliding doors that are 192mm wider than the short-wheelbase version, making it easier for passengers to enter and exit the cabin. The interior boasts a three-row, seven-seat configuration that can be folded flat for greater flexibility. Other features include the IQ.LIGHT intelligent lighting system, comprised of LED Matrix headlights and LED sequential dynamic taillights, as well as power sliding windows, hands-free sliding doors, and a tailgate. It also includes the IQ.DRIVE driver assistance system, supporting Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capabilities.

Following Mercedes-Benz's announcement last year that it would bring its ChatGPT service to its vehicles, Volkswagen also announced at CES 2024 that it would be introducing the service to its lineup, integrating it with its existing IDA voice assistant. Volkswagen plans to implement ChatGPT on the new ID.7, ID.4, ID.5, ID.3, as well as the new Tiguan, Passat, and Golf models, and will make it a standard feature on most production models in the second quarter of this year. However, possibly due to regulatory or privacy concerns, this feature will currently only be available on vehicles sold in the US market; there are no plans for other regions. Volkswagen stated that the introduction of ChatGPT will primarily enhance its existing voice assistant functionality and allow users to interact with their vehicles more easily through natural voice commands, avoiding delays or misjudgments in the voice assistant's recognition process. Volkswagen also emphasized that the service will not record any vehicle-related information, and all conversations will be deleted after use to avoid compromising user privacy.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is holding its VanLife Carnival at Taipei 101 Water Dance Plaza starting today (November 10th). Besides showcasing past generations of its T-series vans, the event also features the ID. Buzz, a pure electric vehicle officially introduced by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The company announced that reservations will be open immediately through the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles My eVanLife App, and also revealed that a long-wheelbase version will be introduced later. ▲Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles officially introduces the ID. Buzz pure electric vehicle. The VanLife Carnival in Taiwan showcases a range of vans including the T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, and T7. The ID. Buzz pure electric vehicle, previously imported by other retailers, has now been officially introduced by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Taiwan and will be available for reservation through the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles My eVanLife App. It is expected to be officially launched in Taiwan next year. The event will also feature a classic vehicle display area, a VanLife-exclusive display area, a German food area, a parent-child interactive experience area, a creative handicraft selection area, an ID. Buzz VR virtual reality experience area, and Taiwan's first mobile sticker bus built by T3, allowing visitors to experience these features. On the weekend, the event will also feature a special performance by the talented singer "?te坏特" on the evening of November 11th, followed by a performance by multi-talented artist Ma Nianxian on November 12th. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles stated that since hand-drawing its first dream van in 1947, it has officially begun developing the T-series van models, and now, with the ID. Buzz, it is starting a new chapter in the development of pure electric van models. With the rise of camping in Taiwan, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles expects its California campervan series, which embodies the VanLife lifestyle, including the T6.1 California series and the Caddy California model, to accumulate nearly 500 units in sales in the Taiwanese market this year. ▲Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Taiwan President Wu Shih-fen (left) and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Global Business and Marketing Vice President Lars Krause, at the upcoming milestone of the all-electric era, the ID. Buzz, stated that Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles blends classic design with modern technology. Inspired by the T1 van's exterior, it incorporates Volkswagen Group's latest MEB vehicle platform and offers diverse and practical space functionality, aiming to promote the VanLife lifestyle. A long-wheelbase version is also expected to be introduced in the future to meet market demand. ▲Vanlife lifestyle driven by Volkswagen vans ▲Volkswagen has currently launched the T-series vans ▲From right: the earliest T1, and its successor T2 ▲Left: T3 with rear-wheel drive engine ▲From right: T4, T5, T6, and T7 ▲Designing a van suitable for camping...

In its recent financial report, Ford confirmed that its investment in the self-driving car startup Argo AI will cease operations, with Ford and Volkswagen taking over its self-driving car technology and related assets. Martin Sander, head of Ford's European electric vehicle business, recently revealed plans to launch electric vehicles designed using a self-developed platform. Sander's statement indicates that Ford clearly intends to reduce its reliance on Volkswagen's Modular Vehicle Platform (MEB) design in electric vehicle development and increase its own technological scale. However, Ford will still launch electric vehicles based on Volkswagen's MEB platform this year and next, while also maintaining an open attitude towards collaborating with other companies, aiming to reduce its reliance on Volkswagen technology. After the closure of Argo AI, Ford and Volkswagen will take over its self-driving car technology and related assets. Ford's future focus will be on developing Level 2+ or Level 3 autonomous driving technologies that can be more quickly applied to various vehicle models.

The Xavier autonomous driving processor, unveiled two years ago and with more details revealed at GTC 2017 last year, was offered for sample testing. NVIDIA confirmed at its CES 2018 pre-show event that it will release the first wave of test samples in the first quarter of this year. Pegasus, targeting Level 5 fully autonomous driving, is also confirmed to offer sample testing this year, meaning NVIDIA will collaborate with more automakers to create smart vehicles or autonomous vehicles. Furthermore, while no new processor development roadmap or new hardware was announced at CES 2018, NVIDIA focused primarily on the development of smart vehicle and fully autonomous driving technologies that will become widespread in the future. At the same event, NVIDIA also showcased the Drive PX 2 automotive supercomputer powered by the Xavier processor, demonstrating its performance in a vehicle. The demonstration showed the vehicle autonomously determining whether to turn, stop, or be aware of oncoming traffic while turning on a 8-mile stretch of rural road with 23 intersections, 8 sharp turns, and two stop signs. Based on current Xavier computing performance, it roughly corresponds to Level 3-Level 4 autonomous driving. The Pegasus-designed supercomputer incorporates two Xavier cores and two Volta display cores, enabling it to support full Level 5 autonomous driving, thus facilitating collaboration with more automakers for fully autonomous vehicles. NVIDIA also announced a partnership with Aurora, an autonomous driving technology company, formed with former Google Automotive Project Chief Technology Officer Chris Urmson, Tesla Autonomous Driving Program Manager Sterling Anderson, and former Uber Advanced Technology Center Autonomous Architecture and Cognition Manager Drew Bagnell. They have also partnered with vehicle parts manufacturer ZF. Furthermore, Baidu's recently launched autonomous vehicles using Apollo 2.0 also utilize Xavier as their computing core. Uber's autonomous vehicles and trucks currently under development also employ NVIDIA vehicle solutions, with Uber emphasizing that its autonomous vehicles, powered by NVIDIA technology, have accumulated over 200 million miles of driving and completed the milestone of transporting over 5 passengers. In its collaboration with Volkswagen, NVIDIA has confirmed that it will provide the Drive IX AI-powered driver assistance system for Volkswagen's planned new electric bus, the ID Buzz. This system can predict the surrounding environment of the vehicle, alert drivers to approaching vehicles from the side, check whether the driver's eyes are focused on the road ahead, or determine whether the driver is distracted or drowsy, thus preventing accidents during vehicle operation.

In addition to announcing a collaboration with Toyota on autonomous driving technology during GTC 2017, NVIDIA recently announced a partnership with Volvo to accelerate the development of autonomous vehicles and with Volkswagen to expand its artificial intelligence (AI) technology beyond autonomous vehicles. Furthermore, following its recent announcement of a collaboration with Bosch on components needed for autonomous vehicles, NVIDIA has also formed a strategic alliance with ZF, HELLA, and Autoliv, aiming to develop AI technologies for mass-produced autonomous vehicles that will pass the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) safety certification. At an earlier automotive dealer conference in Stuttgart, Germany, NVIDIA announced collaborations with Volvo and Volkswagen, as well as with ZF (the world's largest automotive parts supplier), HELLA (a camera perception software and sensor technology company), and Autoliv (a joint venture with Volvo to create autonomous driving software called Zenuity). The collaboration with Volvo includes not only the joint development of autonomous vehicles but also a partnership with Zenuity on an autonomous driving software system based on the Drive PX platform. Volvo expects to begin production of autonomous vehicles as early as 2021. The collaboration with Volkswagen focuses on AI applications beyond autonomous vehicles, such as enterprise big data analytics, network security assessments, and urban traffic optimization. In addition to these newly announced automakers, NVIDIA also announced a collaboration with Toyota on autonomous driving technology at GTC 2017, aiming to further promote the development of autonomous vehicles. Previously, NVIDIA had already partnered with Audi, Tesla, Daimler, and others, and is also collaborating with Baidu on autonomous driving technology, encompassing almost all traditional automakers. The announcement of this collaboration with ZF and HELLA is naturally aimed at promoting the development of autonomous vehicles by adding more automotive component technology suppliers. The strategic alliance with ZF, HELLA, and Autoliv is also expected to provide artificial intelligence technology for mass-produced autonomous vehicles to pass the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) safety certification, enabling autonomous driving software systems based on the NVIDIA Drive PX platform to have safer performance and meet the needs of commercial vehicles (such as trucks) and various vehicle applications outside of roads.