Volkswagen E-Up!

Volkswagen will use the same battery module design for all its electric vehicles globally across all its brands, according to Dr. Tobias Giebel, head of the Volkswagen Research Lab in Shanghai. In an interview with PluginCars.com, Giebel said Volkswagen is working with local battery manufacturers in China to produce a product that meets Volkswagen’s global standards. “We believe the future of battery cell sourcing is in China,” he said.

Volkswagen may see things differently than competitors like Ford and Renault. The electric Ford Transit Connect is the first electric Ford on the market, and Renault expects to sell tens of thousands of its electric Kangoos. Ford and Renault both believe there is a market for electric compact utility vehicles, but I don't see any indication Volkswagen has the same belief.

At an event in London this week, Volkswagen revealed the third in a series of city-specific customizations of its electric Taxi Concept. According to Autocar, the commercial fleet EV is being “seriously considered” for production by VW executives, and could be well positioned to compete globally for large orders from cities looking to cut the emissions of their cabs.