Volkswagen says EV orders are down 50% in Europe
After releasing its results for the first nine months of the year, Volkswagen’s CFO said EV orders are down 50% in Europe. VW’s order intake fell short, attributed to a slowdown in the overall market.
The Volkswagen Group announced Thursday that EV deliveries increased by 45% YOY, reaching 531,500 in the first nine months of the year.
VW’s EV sales share stood at 9% in the third quarter for a total of 7.9% through September. The company said it remains on track to hit its (previously lowered) annual target of 8-10%.
Europe was Volkswagen’s biggest EV market, accounting for over 341,000 electric models (+61%) sold through September. China, the automaker’s biggest market in terms of profits, was next with 117,100 models sold (+4%). EV deliveries in the US rose 74% to 50,300.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen CFO and COO Arno Antlitz explained on a media call that EV orders in Europe are down to 150,000. That’s 50% lower than last year’s total of 300,000.
Europe accounts for over 64% of Volkswagen’s EV deliveries so far this year. Although deliveries grew slightly in China, Antlitz said the company could lose EV market share until new models built with XPeng begin rolling out.
Volkswagen EV orders fall in Europe
Despite EV orders falling significantly from last year in Europe, Volkswagen began seeing intake pick up in the third quarter.
Antiliz said although order intake was below targets, delivery momentum was expected to continue. He attributed the lower demand to the overall market trend.
Hildegard Wortmann, who oversees VW’s marketing and sales, explained earlier this month, “Our order intake is below our ambitious targets due to the lower-than-expected overall market trend.”
The VW spokesperson attributed the third-quarter growth to a high backlog waiting to be processed. He said that supply chain and logistics kinks are being smoothed out, leading to shortened delivery times.
Volkswagen lowered guidance earlier this year from 11% EV sales share to 8-10%. The automaker’s struggles led to production cuts in Germany last month over slowing demand.
The company hopes the “refreshed” ID.4 and ID.5, VW’s top-selling EVs, will help turn things around. The new models come with a new electric drive and battery, providing more range in addition to a modern infotainment.
Volkswagen also launched its flagship ID.7, which has been available to order for weeks now. The new electric sedan starts at around $62,000 (€56,995) with up to 385 miles (621 km) WLTC range.
Electrek’s Take
Several automakers, including Ford and GM, recently announced they would be delaying key parts of their EV rollouts.
GM is delaying Equinox, Silverado RST, and GMC Sierra EV production to “protect pricing.” Meanwhile, Ford is pushing back its 600,000 EV run rate goal until next year. The moves come amid higher interest rates globally and lower-than-expected demand for some EV models.
Meanwhile, other automakers, including Hyundai and Volvo, are sticking to their targets. Both automakers expect the EV momentum to continue with new models rolling out across various segments.
Although EV orders are down in Europe, Volkswagen said they began to pick up in the third quarter as new models hit the market.
Although near-term uncertainty is causing some automakers to abandon their EV plans, others are doubling down. Electric vehicles will continue gathering momentum into the end of the decade, and those making the effort now will be the ones reaping the rewards.
As China, the largest EV market globally has shown, the transition can happen quickly, leaving those unprepared behind.
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First Solar just cut the ribbon on a huge new factory in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, and it dwarfs the New Orleans Superdome. The company’s $1.1 billion, fully vertically integrated facility spans 2.4 million square feet, or about 11 times the size of the stadium’s main arena.
The factory began production quietly in July, a few months ahead of schedule, and employs more than 700 people. First Solar expects that number to hit 826 by the end of the year. Once it’s fully online, the site will add 3.5 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. That brings the company’s total US footprint to 14 GW in 2026 and 17.7 GW in 2027, when its newly announced South Carolina plant is anticipated to come online.
The Louisiana plant produces First Solar’s Series 7 modules using US-made materials — glass from Illinois and Ohio, and steel from Mississippi, which is fabricated into backrails in Louisiana.
The new factory leans heavily on AI, from computer vision that spots defects on the line to deep learning tools that help technicians make real‑time adjustments.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says the investment is already a win for the region, bringing in “hundreds of good-paying jobs and new opportunities for Louisiana workers and businesses.” A new economic impact analysis from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette projects that the factory will boost Iberia Parish’s GDP by 4.4% in its first full year at capacity. The average manufacturing compensation package comes in at around $90,000, more than triple the parish’s per capita income.
First Solar CEO Mark Widmar framed the new facility as a major step for US clean energy manufacturing: “By competitively producing energy technology in America with American materials, while creating American jobs, we’re demonstrating that US reindustrialization isn’t just a thesis, it’s an operating reality.”
This site joins what’s already the largest solar manufacturing and R&D footprint in the Western Hemisphere: three factories in Ohio, one in Alabama, and R&D centers in Ohio and California. Just last week, First Solar announced a new production line in Gaffney, South Carolina, to onshore more Series 6 module work. By the end of 2026, the company expects to directly employ more than 5,500 people across the US.
Read more: First Solar pours $330M into a new South Carolina solar factory
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No, it’s not the new Bolt. GM’s design team previewed a new high-riding “sporty Chevrolet EV” that should be brought to life.
Is Chevy launching a new sporty EV?
This is the all-electric vehicle Chevy should sell in the US. General Motors’ design team released a series of sketches previewing a sporty new Chevy EV.
Although it kinda looks like the new 2027 Chevy Bolt EV as a higher-sitting compact crossover SUV, the design offers a fresh take on what it should have looked like.
The new Bolt is essentially a modernized version of the outgoing EUV model with a similar compact crossover silhouette. Nissan adopted a similar style with the new 2026 LEAF as buyers continue shifting from smaller sedans and hatchbacks to crossovers and SUVs.
Will we see the sporty Chevy EV in real life? It’s not likely. For one, the “exploration sketch” is by GM China Advanced designer Charles Huang.
GM Design posted the sketches on its global social media page, but the caption read “Sporty Chevrolet EV for the China Market.”
It’s too bad. The Bolt could use a sporty sibling like an SS variant. Chevy introduced the Blazer EV SS (check out our review) for the 2026 model year, its fastest “SS” model yet. Packing up to 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, the Chevy Blazer SS can race from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds when using Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode.
Will the Bolt be next? I wouldn’t get my hopes up. And if GM does bring the sporty Chevy EV to life, it will likely only be sold in China. Like all the fun cars these days.
What do you think of the design? Would you buy one of these in the US? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
While deliveries of the 2027 Bolt are set to begin in early 2026, Chevy is offering some sweet deals on its current EV lineup, including up to $4,000 off in Customer Cash and 0% APR financing for 60 months.
Ready to test drive one? You can use our links below to find Chevy Equinox, Blazer, and Silverado EVs at a dealership 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 electricity becoming the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, the new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more.
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