Volkswagen will finally make pure EV’s but not under the Volkswagen name. The EV’s will be made by a new sub brand from the FAW-VW joint venture called Kai Li, best translated as ‘Carrier’.
The Chinese government is pushing Chinese-foreign joint ventures to come up with new sub brands for cheaper motoring, preferably as ‘green’ as possible. The sub brand will be seen as a ‘Chinese’ brand so car buyers will be able to get all the green-car subsidies from the Chinese government when they purchase their car.
The Kai Li name has been registered in China. When the first car hits the road is unsure but bet on a concept at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show.