Volkswagen plans to sell 25 BEV models in US by 2030 that qualify for full $7,500 tax credit
German automaker Volkswagen Group is looking to more than double its current share of the US market by prioritizing EV production in North America. By adhering to new terms laid out in the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, Volkswagen intends to deliver at least 25 all-electric models over the next seven years that will qualify for the entire $7,500 federal tax credit.
Volkswagen Group may not be leading the all-electric charge in terms of technology, especially software, but the legacy automaker is still making moves almost daily to pivot toward varietal BEV production in order to deliver vehicles that are affordable and enticing to consumers. Despite other European automakers (including Porsche) splitting hairs over the nonexistent demand for e-fuels, Volkswagen Group continues to embrace an all-electric future, with the goal of gaining a larger share of the global market.
A huge chunk of that market lies in North America, where the automaker currently has a production footprint that is home to its ID.4 EV. That factory will soon be joined by a new US-based battery plant to support local EV production and help Volkswagen’s future models qualify for federal tax credits now that the US Department of Treasury has shared its battery guidance criteria.
Additionally, Volkswagen Group recently announced South Carolina as the new home of its next production facility, where its Scout sub-brand EVs will be built. Fellow marque Audi could soon join the assembly lines at one of those US factories as well, providing further evidence of North America sitting dead center on the Group’s office dartboard.
Volkswagen Group currently has a grip over roughly 4% of the US market today, but it looks to boost that number to 10% by the end of the decade. In order to do so, Volkswagen America’s CEO shared the company’s plans for broader availability stateside, utilizing federal tax credit opportunities as its catalyst.
Volkswagen goes all in on US production, federal tax credit
Volkswagen may be putting the pieces in place to gather a larger share of the US market, but it remains a tall task – one that the legacy automaker has taken on in the past with little success. The Volkswagen passenger car brand currently holds a meager 1.8% of the US market today but hopes to reach 5% by 2030.
The overall Group hopes to achieve the aforementioned target of 10% in the same period with the help of some of its more popular, premium marques, like Audi and Porsche. Volkswagen has a head start on some of its competitors with established EV production in the US already but will need to expand its assembly lines to models beyond its namesake brand in order to have a chance.
Those plans already include a $7 billion investment in US production, which will help Volkswagen begin production of its ID.Buzz electric van in 2024. This year alone, Volkswagen has already introduced plans for several more affordable EV models to the public but has not declared which, if any, will be assembled in the US.
It appears that plenty more are coming stateside, however. According to Volkswagen Group of America CEO Paulo Di Si, the automaker plans to sell 25 BEV models in the US by 2030 – all of which should qualify for the Inflation Reduction Act’s full $7,500 federal tax credit. That means their assembly and battery components must operate in North America or through a US free trade partner. Per Di Si in a recent Bloomberg Television interview:
We have a great opportunity in the US. I believe this is the right time and the right place.
To avoid similar follies from past attempts at US market saturation, Volkswagen Group is hiring designers and engineers to cater its future EVs specifically toward US consumers. As a result of emissions scandals and software issues, Volkswagen’s popularity has dwindled in the US, although the ID.4 has gained a strong following, and its upcoming ID electric van continues to generate… buzz.
Even Di Si admits the automaker’s US market targets are going to be tough to hit, but the CEO remains confident in the Group’s US plans.
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The BYD “Shenzhen” set sail on its first voyage overseas this week. With 9,200 parking spots, or about enough to fill 20 football fields, BYD’s new car transport ship is now the world’s largest.
BYD’s largest car carrier sets sail for Brazil
BYD’s Shenzhen is on its maiden voyage to Brazil after setting sail on April 27. The vessel is carrying over 7,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs), including electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). It’s the largest single batch of NEVs exported from China so far.
The new vessel is BYD’s fourth car transport ship and the world’s largest, capable of carrying 9,000 vehicles. According to the company, that’s enough to fill about 20 football fields.
BYD launched its first car carrier, the Explorer No 1, in January 2024. It has already completed several trips to Germany, Spain, and Brazil.
Its second, the BYD Changzhou, set sail in December 2024, followed by the Hefei earlier this year. All three vessels can carry up to 7,000 vehicles, making the Shenzhen the largest so far.
The Shenzhen is named after the automaker’s hometown and demonstrates “BYD’s firm determination to promote sustainable development in Brazil.”
BYD is preparing to launch two more vessels, the Changsha and Xi’an. The Changsha is expected to launch soon, while the Xi’an was introduced on April 2.
The new car carriers will help accelerate BYD’s aggressive overseas expansion. In the first three months of 2025, the company sold over 206,000 NEVs overseas, more than double the number it sold last year.
BYD sells a wide range of vehicles in Brazil, including the low-cost Dolphin Mini, starting at around $20,000 (99,800 BRL). In October, it launched its first hybrid pickup truck, the Shark, starting at 379,800 BTL ($66,900).
Brazil is only one overseas market that BYD is targeting. BYD’s sales are expected to double in Europe in 2025, with significant growth in other key regions like Southeast Asia, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea, to name a few.
Source: BYD
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‘Tesla homes’ in a Houston neighborhood where all the homes have Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls went for sale.
7 out of the 11 homes have reportedly already sold.
Tesla neighborhood is a term that is being used for new developments where all the homes integrate all or part of Tesla’s power ecosystem, including the Powerwall home battery pack.
The best example is a giant new development project in Austin, Texas, by Brookfield Asset Management and Dacra in which up to 12,000 new homes are to be built and offering Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls.
However, since the announcement, it looks like only some of the homes in the new neighborhood have Tesla energy systems.
In 2022, Tesla also announced a similar project in Las Vegas.
A year later, the company claimed to have deployed “over 600 solar neighborhoods” worldwide, with a total capacity exceeding 100 MW.
One such ‘Tesla neighborhood’ is a small block of 11 townhouse homes featuring Tesla solar roofs and Powerwalls in Houston, Texas.
The homes were recently completed and went on sale, starting at $544,900.
Here are some pictures from the listings:
Utopia Homes, the developer behind the project, described the properties (via Chron):
Step into modern elegance expertly crafted by Utopia Homes. This property showcases groundbreaking Tesla Solar Roof Shingles and Power Wall technology, ensuring 100% energy security and eliminating electric bills for a truly sustainable lifestyle.
The house has proved popular according to the real estate agents, with 7 out of 11 homes already sold.
As we recently reported, Tesla’s solar roofs have proven to be a more expensive and niche product than the company previously presented.
Tesla has largely stopped discussing it, but it is still being deployed through some third-party installers, such as in this case, on new homes.
However, its Powerwall product remains a very popular solution for homeowners seeking greater energy independence and protection against outages, which have been a frequent problem in Texas.
More homeowners are turning to generators, and alternatives like home battery packs are gaining popularity.
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Canadian electric propulsion specialist Vision Marine continues to graduate beyond advanced outboard motors into a provider of all-electric boats. This month, Vision introduced two new electric pontoon boats – the 12-passenger V24 and 15-passenger V30, each capable of a range up to 90 nautical miles.
Vision Marine Technologies ($VMAR) is a Canadian technology company with over 25 years of experience in the marine industry. The company made waves (literally) by introducing its E-Motion turnkey powertrain system, which it has since integrated into a catamaran speedboat, which set a speed record of 109 mph in 2022.
Since then, Vision has introduced six hp two-cruiser vessels – the Fantail 217 and Volt 180, each capable of transporting 10 passengers via its E-Motion technology. Most recently, Vision Marine has integrated the full power of its 180 hp electric powertrain technology into two additional vessels, both electric pontoon boats.
Earlier this month, the company officially began sales of the Vision V24 and V30, which you can view below.
Vision Marine brings power and range to electric pontoons
According to Vision Marine Technologies, orders for its two new electric pontoon boats are now open, and they are touting the same E-Motion technology that put the company on the map a few years ago.
The first model is the V24, a 12-passenger electric pontoon that is 24′ 8″ in length and has 180 hp. The ultra-quiet E-Motion powertrain is powered by a standard 43 kWh marine battery pack, offering 40 nautical miles (46 miles) of all-electric range on a single charge. For added range, Vision sells a version of the electric pontoon with a second battery pack, totaling 86 kWh and delivering up to 90 nautical miles (104 miles) of range.
While the V24 offers more of a classic attempt at the pontoon boat, Vision’s additional new vessel, the all-electric V30, is a tad sportier and provides room for more passengers aboard (15). This 30′ vessel features the same E-Motion powertrain options, complete with the same two battery configurations to offer the same ranges as the V24.
However, the V30 has additional features such as 4 x 6.5″ interior speakers and cool-touch seats. Both models feature an integrated onboard charger that supports both 120- 240V (30 to 50 amps) for seamless charging, no matter the dock plug while moored.
The Vision V24 starts at $99,995 for the standard battery pack version, while the V30 starts at a higher price of $139,995. As previously mentioned, both electric pontoon boats are available to order today.
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