Blame EU regulators.
The original plan called for the Volkswagen ID.4 to go on sale in the US by the end of this year. Unfortunately, that no longer appears to be happening and a production delay is not the reason. The ID.4 is currently rolling off the assembly line in Zwickau, Germany alongside the ID.3 hatchback. Production will also take place in Chattanooga, Tennessee for our side of the pond but this won't get underway until 2022. For model year 2021, all ID.4s will be German built. And that's now become a slight issue for anxious US buyers.
Automotive News reports that despite VW's goal of having the ID.4 on sale in California along with other zero-emission vehicle states by the end of 2020, customer deliveries won't begin until March 2021.
The reason involves VW trying to reduce the amount in fines it must pay in Europe because it failed to meet carbon dioxide reduction targets for its new model fleet in that continent. VW wants to focus on European ID.3. and ID.4 sales for the rest of this year in order to help reduce the amount it will owe to EU regulators.
Another reason for the ID.4's US market delay has to do with still unresolved software problems involving the ID.3; both vehicles share common systems. VW has confirmed the situation when asked for clarification.
"We are executing our plan. 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. We want this launch to have the biggest impact possible with a steady cadence once ID.4 starts to arrive at dealerships," the spokesperson said.
VW is so confident the ID.4 will be a success, especially in the US, it recently decided to permanently end production of the also Chattanooga-built Passat sedan in order to help free up assembly line space. Once the Passat is out of the picture, the ID.4, Atlas, and Atlas Cross Sport will completely dominate VW's American factory.
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