Consumer confidence with Volkswagen naturally plummeted in the wake of the infamous Dieselgate scandal, and the manufacturer is still facing the repercussions years later. To try and put the scandal behind it and win back consumer confidence, VW is focusing on re-identifying itself as a leading electric car manufacturer with the launch of its I.D. range, and aims to have as many as 35 EVs on the market by 2025. Don't think, however, that the automaker is abandoning diesel cars for good, despite its notorious history with them.

At Volkswagen's annual general meeting, VW's CEO Mathias Muller made this clear, stating that "diesel will remain indispensable for the foreseeable future," according to Autocar, despite reiterating that "the future is electric." Further emphasizing VW's commitment to the combustion engine, VW wants to make its gas and diesel engines cleaner, with the aim of making its combustion engines between 10 and 15 percent more efficient by 2020. "This will help protect the environment and conserve resources," the CEO said. To achieve this, VW will be investing 10 billion Euros, which is around $10.9 billion at current exchange rates. Muller didn't shy away from the Dieselgate fallout, either.

This applies also and especially to the Euro 6 diesel, despite the current heated debate," he said, implying that VW diesel cars may no longer be sold in the US and will only be developed in Europe. "The internal combustion engine is primarily part of the solution, not part of the problem. 124 years after it was invented, the diesel engine still has plenty of potential, and we intend to exploit that potential." Whatever happens, America will still benefit from more efficient VW combustion engines, but the automaker still has a rocky road ahead if it is to win back consumer confidence in its diesel models overseas.