Growing EV demand helps Volkswagen reach half a million ID deliveries one year early
As legacy automaker Volkswagen looks to electrify its entire lineup of vehicles over the next decade, it is touting accelerated progress today by reaching a milestone of 500,000 EV deliveries a year early. With ten new EV models planned for deliveries by 2026, Volkswagen is capitalizing off growing EV demand with hopes to further accelerate its electrification strategy around the globe.
Since announcing a decade-plus long strategy to completely phase out combustion vehicle sales, Volkswagen Group has continued to demonstrate progress in achieving its goals, despite recent supply chain constraints around the globe.
Last fall, we reported Volkswagen was expanding EV sales and deliveries at a staggering pace, reporting YOY growth well over 100%. This trend has continued through 2022 as BEV demand continues to soar alongside the number of all-electric VW models available.
As its EV deliveries continue to grow, some analysts have predicted that Volkswagen will eventually surpass market leader Tesla in sales as early as 2024. Now, just over two years after beginning deliveries of its ID.3 EV, Volkswagen has surpassed its 500,000 unit benchmark.
Volkswagen deliveries represent a growing EV appetite
The German automaker shared news of its latest accomplishment in a press release today, providing further evidence that consumers around the world are transitioning to EVs more quickly, whether those vehicles are donning the VW badge or not.
While there’s certainly a booming demand for zero-emissions vehicles around the globe, the VW name is one often being sought out by consumers. In addition to 500,000 deliveries already completed, Volkswagen is reporting another 135,000 EVs in the order bank – a 65% increase compared to 2021. VW board member for sales, marketing and after sales Imelda Labbé spoke:
Delivery of half a million ID.s confirms that the Volkswagen models are being well-received by our customers – all over the world. We are on the right track with our electric mobility campaign and our success story continues. Our focus is unchanged – we want to make Volkswagen the most desirable brand for sustainable mobility. We are doing our utmost to deliver the roughly 135,000 ID.s on order to our customers as quickly as possible. However, due to the persistently strained situation as regards the supply of parts we are repeatedly having to adjust production.
Like many automakers, Volkswagen has felt the affects of supply chain issues, inflation, and new terms in the US pertaining to federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. Still, the automaker has pivoted its strategy, named a new CEO, and continues to work toward deliveries of ten new EVs by 2026. This will include an entry-level EV priced around $25,000 and the recently covered Aero B sedan.
Looking ahead, Volkswagen intends to only sell EVs in Europe by 2033 and have 50% of all sales and deliveries be electric in the US and China by that time as well. Its ID.4 SUV is currently being assembled in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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Electricity demand is surging in Texas, and solar, wind, and battery storage are meeting it.
According to new data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), electricity demand across the Texas grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) hit record highs in the first nine months of 2025. ERCOT, which supplies power to about 90% of the state, saw demand jump 5% year-over-year to 372 terawatt hours (TWh) – a 23% increase since 2021. No other major US grid has grown faster over the past year.
Solar and wind keep ERCOT’s grid steady
The biggest growth story in Texas power generation is solar. Utility-scale solar plants produced 45 TWh from January through September, up 50% from 2024 and nearly four times what they generated in 2021 (11 TWh). Wind power also continued to climb, producing 87 TWh through September – a 4% increase from last year and 36% more than in 2021.
Together, wind and solar supplied 36% of ERCOT’s total electricity over those nine months. Solar, in particular, has transformed Texas’s daytime energy mix. From June to September, ERCOT solar farms generated an average of 24 gigawatts (GW) between noon and 1 pm – double the midday output from 2023. That growth has pushed down natural gas use at midday from 50% of the mix in 2023 to 37% this year.
Battery storage is filling in the gaps
Batteries charge during the day when wind and solar generation are the highest, and they produce electricity when generation from wind and solar slows down. ERCOT began reporting battery output separately in October 2024 in its hourly grid data, and it’s clear that batteries are now helping to smooth out evening peaks. This past summer, batteries supplied an average of 4 GW of power around 8 pm, right as solar production dropped off.
Natural gas is flatlining
Natural gas is still Texas’s dominant power source, but it isn’t growing like it used to. Between January and September, gas-fired plants generated 158 TWh of electricity, compared to 161 TWh in 2023. Gas comprised 43% of ERCOT’s generation mix during the first nine months of 2025, down from 47% in the first nine months of 2023 and 2024.
More demand growth ahead
The EIA expects Texas electricity demand to keep rising faster than any other grid in the US. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the EIA projects ERCOT’s demand will climb another 14% in the first nine months of 2026, reaching 425 TWh. That means Texas will need even more solar, wind, and battery storage to keep up with its breakneck growth.
Read more: This $900 million solar farm in Texas is going 100% to data centers
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GM is recalling nearly 23,000 Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models due to a defect where the tire tread could fall off.
GM is recalling more Chevy Equinox EV models
In a letter sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM said it has decided to issue a safety recall for certain Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models from model years 2025 to 2026.
This time, it isn’t necessarily GM’s fault. The vehicles may be equipped with 21″ all-season tires that Continental Tire is recalling.
According to Continental, the tires were produced during the week of October 6, 2024, and may have a defect where the tire tread could partially or fully detach. The records show the defect is due to a nonconforming tread base rubber compound.
Owners of affected vehicles may notice unusual tread wear or bulging, vibration while driving, or tire noises. GM is unaware of any incidents related to the defect, but is issuing the recall out of an abundance of caution.
On September 18, 2025, GM inspected the assembly plant and confirmed there were no suspect tires in stock. The 21″ tires come standard on RS trims and are optional on LT1 and LT2 grades.
Although GM is recalling 22,914 Chevy Equinox EVs and Cadillac Optiqs, it estimates that only about 1% of them have the defect.
The recall includes:
- 2026 Cadillac Optiq: 214
- 2026 Chevy Equinox EV: 1,832
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq: 3,468
- 2025 Chevy Equinox EV: 17,400
GM dealers will check all four tires and replace them if needed, free of charge. Dealers were notified on October 16. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed out on December 1, 2025.
You can contact Chevrolet’s customer service number at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac’s at 1-800-333-4223. GM’s recall number is N252525030. Owners can also call the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit the nhtsa.gov website for more information.
The Chevy Equinox EV is now the third best-selling EV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. Meanwhile, Cadillac’s entry-level Optiq SUV is the fifth-most-popular luxury EV. The recall is minor and only affects a small percentage of models, so it’s not expected to have a major impact.
If you want to test one of them for yourself, we can help you get started. Check out our links below to find available Chevy Equinox EV and Cadillac Optiq models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s earnings madness, Rivian layoffs, Ford pausing F-150 Lightning, and more.
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