It's no secret that Volkswagen has huge ambitions for its new generation of electric I.D. vehicles as the automaker wants to overtake Tesla and become the leading electric automaker. Inevitably, this means the company will eventually stop producing combustion engines – and it's going to happen sooner than you think. According to Bloomberg, VW's next generation of combustion engines will be its last.

The new gasoline and diesel units are slated to roll out in 2026 and will start the end of an era for VW. This means VW will likely continue producing conventionally-powered cars for around a decade for the next generation. After that, VW will only develop electric powertrains. It's a dramatic shift after the automaker admitted to emissions cheating in the infamous Dieselgate scandal.

"Our colleagues are working on the last platform for vehicles that aren't CO2 neutral," Volkswagen's strategy chief Michael Jost explained. "We're gradually fading out combustion engines to the absolute minimum."

Volkswagen's EV push begins next year when its first electric I.D. hatchback goes on sale, which is expected to be called the I.D. Neo. By 2025, VW Group wants to have 80 new EVs across its brands including Audi, Porsche and VW. Five years later, the automaker aims to offer an electrified version for every one of its 300 group models.

After the I.D. family launches, VW will continue to modify its combustion engine technology. Jost even predicts that there may still be some gasoline and diesel models after 2050 in regions where there is insufficient charging infrastructure. Just don't expect VW to develop all-new combustion engines in future decades.

The VW executive added that problems with diesel pollution in cities can be resolved with cleaner engines, but CO2 emissions present a bigger long-term threat and contribute to global warming. VW is "fully committed" to the goals outlined in the Paris climate accord, which calls for accelerating the rollout of vehicles that lower or eliminate harmful emissions, Jost said at an industry conference.