Volkswagen isn’t shy of its future EV plans but now there’s a new report saying that the German carmaker will include turning the ‘R’ brand into an electric performance brand.
Speaking to Top Gear, VW Group board member Jürgen Stackmann that future ‘R’ models will not only be exciting cars but will also go electric.
“The future of R needs to be, and will be, electric,” Stackmann said. “We’re still working on what we started two and a half years ago – which was obviously not electric, though exciting – but the work going forward is and will be electrified.”
Read More: Volkswagen Touareg R Is A 455 HP Plug-In Hybrid Super SUV
The electric future of the R brand has already started of course, as VW recently revealed the Touareg R, the first R model fitted with a hybrid powertrain. The range-topping version of the German SUV is powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain that combines a 336 HP 3.0-liter V6 with a 130 HP electric motor and a 14.1 kWh battery pack for a combined 456 HP.
VW Touareg R, the first R model with an electrified 456 HP powertrain
And let’s not forget the ID.R, VW’s battery-electric missile which has destroyed a number of lap records across the world. Putting that R badge on it is a sign of things to come.
However, friends and fans of the internal combustion engine will still get their fix from VW’s R division as the company is putting the final touches on the new Golf R. The range-topping version of the Golf family will continue to offer a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-banger strapped to an all-wheel-drive system and hopefully will retain the title of the best “one-car-to-do-it-all”.
