Volkswagen's Tesla competitor won't launch in the US until 2021
- Volkswagen's ID.4, designed to compete with Tesla, won't arrive until 2021, the company told Automotive News.
- The SUV was originally supposed to launch in select US markets this year, with a 50-state rollout in 2021.
- Earlier this year, VW executives warned of an impending European emissions fine that could reach hundreds of millions of euros.
The first Volkswagen ID.4's won't arrive in the United States until 2021, Automotive News reported Friday, as the automaker grapples with a European emissions fine and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The SUV, a fully electric answer to Tesla's Model Y, was originally supposed to launch in California and other states that have incentivized zero-emissions vehicles this year, before a full rollout in 2021. By 2022, VW says it will have full-scale production underway at its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant.
Everything else remains on schedule, a VW spokesperson told Business Insider, confirming Auto News' scoop.
"We will still have a few hundred vehicles for customer events and drive programs early next year, with the 50-state retail launch starting in March, timed to the spring selling season," they said. "We want this launch to have the biggest impact possible with a steady cadence once ID.4 starts to arrive at dealerships."
A representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider about the report.
In October, VW said it's expecting to be hit with a fine from the European Union for failing to hit carbon-reduction targets. While the timing or size of any penalties aren't clear, VW's finance chief said the company has set aside "a couple of hundred millions" from its balance sheet.
Read more about the Volkswagen ID.4:
- Volkswagen's Tesla competitor is finally here: Meet the ID.4, a cheaper alternative to the Model Y designed to sell against America's most popular cars
- The all-electric ID.4 SUV is leading VW's charge against Tesla — here's how it compares to the Model Y
- Volkswagen made 4 key moves to give the ID.4 EV a shot at outselling Tesla — and its gas-powered competition