Volkswagen Group Ireland Drive 26 Press Conference with CUPRA, Skoda, Audi, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Commercial Vehicles

Welcome back to the Nevo EV News Podcast.

If it's Tuesday, it must be Nevo EV News Day.

On this week's episode, we are at the Drive 26 Volkswagen Group

Ireland press event.

It is an event where we got together all of the brands

from the Volkswagen Group, and I was looking enough

to interview each of the brand representatives there.

For those who don't know, my name is Derek Riley.

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So let's get stuck in Volkswagen Group Ireland.

And thank you very much to Graham Lennox,

who looks after comms for the group

for the invitation to attend this Drive 26,

the second annual event held on the Nango Road there

in the Volkswagen Group Ireland National Training Centre.

And for those who don't know,

the Group comprises passenger cars for Volkswagen,

Volkswagen commercial vehicles, Skoda,

Satan, Cooper and Audi.

And that's the interviews that I've done.

I've done six interviews for this podcast,

as well as that.

On the day, we also got to hear from Volkswagen Group Ireland

financial services or Volkswagen financial services,

which is their body that looks after finances

with all of the brands and some phenomenal numbers

of customers and retention and products

that are underwritten by that part of the business,

but very much focusing on the cars

and the electric vehicles specifically for this podcast.

So in no particular order,

just the order that I was able to catch them on earlier today,

I am going to start off with the first interview

with Ray Leddy from Skoda.

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Here with Ray Leady from Scota Ireland.

Ray, 2025, another good year for Scota.

Yeah, Derek has been an excellent year for Scota.

It was a record year last year,

in fact, in terms of vehicle sales.

We finished the year,

we'll just show you 10% market share,

number three in the market.

So we had a really, really good year last year.

And that was even with the later arrival of our Bebs.

Our Bebs didn't arrive,

that's the new L-Rock and the Eniac Fasif

didn't arrive till March, April last year.

And then we had them in limited numbers.

So we even had our Markwell year considering that.

And then we did have a really fast finish down

with the arrival of those two cars,

the Markwell as well.

It's been really successful for us.

So a good 25, 26 has to build on that.

You're a great man for setting benchmarks

and then having to beat them, Ray.

So you have to think about your own success.

Yeah, well, the brand has serious momentum,

serious momentum.

Even if we look at Europe with Bebs,

the L-Rock was the tour best selling Beb in Europe in 2025.

So there is a lot of momentum and confidence in the brand.

This year, it'll be our first really full year

where we have very good supply of L-Rock,

very good supply of Eniac.

We do have 0% of finance for now on both those cars.

So there's never a better time

to buy a Skoda electric car than now.

In addition, for customers who are looking

for something either smaller or bigger,

we have two new cars come on the very tail end of this year.

We have an Epic, which is a smaller SUV

compared to the L-Rock,

but it will have quite a big boot.

The boot space, the luggage space

will be comparable to L-Rock.

Oh, wow.

And then on the bigger side of things,

we're going to have the Skoda Peak.

And that vehicle will be a seven seat SUV electric car as well.

And we're really looking forward to that.

The codec doesn't really need any introduction, Ireland.

A lot of our customers have been asking

for an electric seven seats.

And that's where we see a great potential in that car.

It's very tail end of this year

and then into next year as well.

Brilliant.

So the Nevo Electric Vehicle Show,

we might be seeing a couple more new Skodas.

Really looking forward to the Nevo Electric Show there.

Credit to you guys and Nevo for organising that show

I suppose it's the Irish Motor Show now really is what it is.

And you have to be there.

I'm glad that we were one of the first brands

to sign up for it.

We had a conference and the guys in Nevo.

It's a great show.

For me, what I really like about the show

is you get to meet customers on a broad scale.

I suppose look at last year,

there's probably a lot of negativity

around Electric Vegas last year.

And a lot of negativity around it.

And the Nevo show for me

was a breath of fresh air

because I got to meet customers

and hear the positivity out there.

You know, if you write social media and Twitter,

you might get to think things are awful

in terms of the electric market.

But no, when you meet customers on the ground,

how open they are to learning,

sampling the vehicles

and talking, exchanging information.

It's a great show.

We're looking forward to it.

You can see that market share of electric vehicles

growing, growing every single month.

We both have eyes on January numbers as well.

So it's going to be another cracking month

for electric vehicles.

Yeah, and this year especially with small electric cars.

For the last number of years,

it was all kind of larger electric cars.

Now, this year we're seeing the small electric cars

making a breakthrough as well.

And with really, really good price points.

So really interesting to see how that this year

materializes for those brands

that have those smaller cars.

Before I let you go, Ray,

did I see recently that the Team Ireland

was award-winning at Scoti European Conference?

Is that right?

Actually, to be honest,

the marketing team I have

and the product team I have

directed their top class.

They're like a Barcelona Real Madrid.

They're full of superstars, galacticos,

they're what they do.

The team I have, I'm very, very lucky

to have such a great team.

And one of the awards I picked up was for a marketing award

from Scota Factory late last year.

Really, really great to receive it

and the team are really great to receive it too.

And it's just a testament

that they really go work to do all year round.

Great recognition.

You've recently brought up on a podcast

where we were talking about Scota in MDL

with Don Hall over the Christmas.

So you'll have to listen back on that one, Ray.

But yeah, talking about Don's history

and how they used to have Scota back in the day.

And so it's one for you to put in your podcast

listening all the way home from work now.

I have great fond memories of when I worked at MDL.

That's when I started my career back in 2000,

over 25 years ago.

Started with Scota,

it was only about three of us in the brand at the time.

You were doing a lot.

Doing a lot.

Business was not simpler back then, of course.

It was that simpler.

We only had three models of it in Octavia,

Fabia, Felicia at the time.

So business was that simpler,

but it's come a long way.

And it's been a lot of fun being part of that story.

Very good, Ray.

Thanks so much for your time.

Thank you, Derek.

Thank you.

So Paul Hunt from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Paul, great.

In 2025, lots of new models.

We were just talking off microphone there,

which regards to it was a busy year last year.

But it's settled now.

You have the product.

How was 25 at the end of it all?

2025 hectic year, hectic year, really positive year.

We always knew going into the year,

we were gonna be under pressure with product launches,

which is good pressure,

but there was a lot coming new transporter

in all the guys is California,

facelifts to models as well.

So it was a really, really busy time,

but volumes were exceptional.

We increased our registration volumes by over 34%,

which as an NSE is our best ever numbers.

And that's despite the fact that we knew transporter,

our new biggest model wasn't gonna be available

in January and February.

So it proved to be a wonderful year to be honest

and laying more foundations for this year as well.

So equally this year should be as good.

And also an award-winning year, Irish Fan of the Year.

So it was great to see that coming through.

Yeah, Irish Fan of the Year, fabulous,

a big accolade for the products,

but also kind of the customer proposition

that we put on that vehicle.

So it wasn't just about that vehicle

in terms of obviously the spec,

what the vehicle offers.

But we launched a five plus promise with it,

five years warranty, five years servicing,

five years roadside assistance.

So we were exceptionally proud

of kind of finishing the year with that award.

Absolutely, and confident in the product.

That's when I see those extended warranties coming out.

And the passenger car doesn't get the abuse

that a commercial vehicle gets.

So it was great to see both.

So I can hardly do that.

2026, what's the?

2026, yeah, another positive year we're expecting.

Four year availability of new transporter,

which obviously for January, February

are really crucial months.

So we're expecting a fourth year

of consecutive growth for us as a brand.

As a market, the LCV market is strong at the moment.

So we've got to take up those opportunities.

So from a product point of view,

we're also going to have the vehicle

to the right of me at the moment, the Caravelle.

There's going to be eight and nine seater available.

And it's going to be available in Bev and PHEV.

And both of those models are very similarly priced.

So under 63,000 euros for both of those models.

So that's our big product thing.

We haven't been in that space for a while.

So that'll help us grow.

But big volumes, again, transporter

will do the biggest ever volumes.

I'm confident of that and some nice new product coming.

It's great to see them out in the road.

And they're real distinctive on the road.

Speaking of the Caravelle that we're standing beside,

the E-transporter, do you see that split

between commercial versus residential owner,

passenger car owner?

Where do you see that spittle and then?

I think at the moment, the initial inquiries

have come from kind of pent up fleet demand for those,

whether it be fleet companies that are looking to use it

for their business needs in terms of rental car companies.

So that's the immediate,

they'll order the vehicle before they see it,

if you know what I mean.

They have that real demand that they need

and the price is critical for them.

But I think they're starting to arrive from this month.

So now we're going to start to see for the order intake

a lot more of the retail mix in there.

But obviously we know there's a type of customer

that it fits and the number of customers.

But I think businesses, sports clubs, schools

and everything, you know, those people,

but you can't really go away from taxes,

hoteliers as well.

So it's going to be an interesting mix.

We've not been in that space for a while.

So we just got to make sure we get our forecasting correct

and get the volumes that we need.

Very good.

And this versus then the long wheel base ID buzz.

Where do you see the crossover there?

I think for us and likewise, multi-lan as well,

we've got a lot of models in that segment.

So what we're hoping for,

and we're doing some actions on ID buzz

to go more after the kind of top level premium level.

Very good.

And those customers that kind of really fall

between probably occasional usage

of the full utilization of seven seats or that level.

So we've got some special addition coming on ID buzz

or has landed now on ID buzz.

That adds a lot of spec.

So for the Caravelle, we kind of see that in the space of,

you know, we're going to have two trim lines.

So it's by no means basic trim.

But for us, it's going to be those Caravelle's,

you definitely need eight to nine seats.

Right.

ID buzz, more premium, more car-like.

Maybe somebody is a bit put off

by having such a big vehicle.

We still think there's a good space there

for ID buzz as well.

And likewise, multi-van as well.

Excellent.

So 2026, no pressure, Paul.

So I'm finding that all of your colleagues

and all the brands, great year last year

and then another year now, Eddie.

Yeah, not pressure, but pressure always,

like there's always pressure in our industry.

But as I said before,

we can't really complain in commercial vehicles

at the moment, because the market is strong.

I think the pressure that we have,

certainly from your area in particular,

where you're most interested in,

we still need to see that bear market grow.

And that's where the pressure is probably.

Volumes-wise, I'm quite confident overall,

we've got a very healthy order bank.

We've had a very good year-end last year.

Momentums with us.

But it's the Bev that we really need to see a pick-up there

if we want to meet our long-term strategic goals.

So that's where real pressure is, I'd say.

And with government supports,

not lacking what's difficult to navigate,

there's definitely hope that the likes of the Zevi,

the SEI department will help with businesses

that want to go electric.

And the fact that you're pricing it correctly,

they still need that infrastructure support

to have to put that extra thought

into having to buy an electric.

Yeah, exactly.

And we took a lot of time pricing the Caravelle,

and we've gone very aggressive if the truth be told.

62, 995 for the Bev is extremely competitive.

And we know we've got to price those models keenly.

I think I go on about it quite a lot

with my passenger car colleagues.

For commercial vehicles, as you'll know,

the passenger car guys have got the benefit

of there's a CO2 taxation there.

And so obviously you're going to be saving money

when you get a Bev on the VRT.

Commercial vehicles, we don't have that.

It's the same 200 euros for that rate.

So the price walk for those customers is much bigger.

So we're working on that.

You'll always see probably our lowest rate

of finance offers will always be attached

to the Bev vehicles.

We will take campaigns and actions

to really try and incentivize,

as well as putting pressure on the guys to help us

from a grand point of view.

Paul, thank you so much for your time.

No problem, thank you.

So Alan Bateson, director of Volkswagen in Ireland.

Alan, a great year for 2025,

and I'm getting the same introduction

with all of your colleagues,

but tell me how Volkswagen passenger cars did.

Yeah, in 2025, it was a great year.

Obviously it was our 75th year in Ireland.

We celebrated that quite extensively across the country,

and we brought home our Ballsbridge Beetle,

which was key to the celebration.

But it was a year of growth for the brand.

We were the biggest growing brand

in the top 10 manufacturers.

0.6% market share growth.

And as we look to 2026,

we're looking to continue that trajectory.

But when I speak to my colleagues

across the European Union,

they're unbelievably amazed by ID4

and how strong it still is in Ireland.

And I can sneak peek at the January numbers as well.

You've really put a focus on that model

and transitioning your fleet, company car drivers,

et cetera, that are coming out of combustion into an ID4,

and it's great numbers.

Yeah, last year ID4 was a real leader for us,

plus 40%.

And January, month to date,

we're at the same level, plus 40% again.

So when you compound that,

you're not far off 100% growth over two years,

real, real adoption.

Used ID4s, we cannot get enough of them.

They're going out of businesses quicker.

They're the most searched for a car

on some of the online websites.

Faster than Golf, which was, historically,

our fastest car in ID4 has gone number one.

Unbelievable.

It's great to see the EV adoption.

I think you can see that in the early figures

from January on the EV, and where it's going.

I can see a lot of ID7s on the road as well.

Another success of a beautiful car.

I loved when I had it and driving it,

but you can see a lot more of them on the roads as well.

There's an interest there.

Yeah, ID7s, we've adapted it.

We've now relaunched a long range battery,

and we really have that placed really well,

along with the ID3 GTX,

which has been a runaway success.

The price position of the car is excellent.

And later today, we'll talk about a new initial

of which is ID Promise,

which will allow customers to take any of our cars

for 100 days.

And if they're not convinced by going BEV,

they can return it to us.

That's amazing.

And it's one of the big things in the market.

No one else has tried this.

It's a big testament.

So as we're the leader,

we're coming to 20,000 cars

near the active in the EV segment for Volkswagen.

ID4 is the clear number one.

We've been the clear number one brand

for a long, long time,

and hope to remain there.

And we have a focus and a strategy.

This ID Promise will really get behind that

and give customers the confidence to go electric.

With that ID3 GTX,

when I was doing reviews in it last year,

I was putting the prices up,

and European viewers were like,

you're wrong with the price there.

However you manage the black magic

that was pulled there with the factory,

it was a phenomenal,

and it is a phenomenal price.

We have a special edition outside the door here today.

I'll be getting around the channel soon.

Fire and Ice or Ice and Fire.

Fire and Ice, yeah.

Fire and Ice, it's exceptional looking.

It's a limited edition run.

Like many of the vehicles,

we have to get the price position right

for the Irish consumer.

When you get it right,

then adoption becomes,

but that's the same for Ice cars,

Pheve, we're looking at all our prices

and have done over the last 24 months.

We feel we're competitive,

and then we have the strength of our own bank

that really brings the offer and our PCP product.

So yeah, really, really excited about 2026.

It started off with a bang,

where the fastest grower again,

and we want to continue that way

for the next number of years.

New models we saw at Glimps of an IAA in Munich

in September,

going to be important that size of car

and that price point of car

for Volkswagen in 2026.

Yeah, absolutely.

So it's a really exciting year.

We obviously have the T-Roc that has just landed.

We brought 30 left-hand drive models in,

so which dealer has a representation

and ordering takeout has been phenomenal.

T-Roc has been such a real foundation stone

for the brand over the last 10 years,

and it's going to continue that way

from initial signs.

We then have the GTI 50, a very special car,

and then the ID Polo will come,

and that is our big, big release.

It looks like a Polo,

but inside is a Gulf,

and that is a game changer

for where we're going

in affordable electric mobility.

We've made a pledge that it will be a 25,000 Euro car,

and we're still on track to do that,

and that's before grants and reliefs.

Wow, so 25,000 Euro,

sometimes people think that's going to be a very small range.

That's not the case with ID Polo.

It's got a very, a range that a lot of people,

it'll suit a lot of people.

Actually, it's a usable range,

and it's a range that suits that type of driver

from the evidence we would have

that it would be completely normal

to have that range in the car.

Obviously, you can go for a higher range if required.

25,000, then you take VRT,

and you take SEI grants off.

You've got a very special car, a very special price,

and a name that's known in the strength of Polo.

Brilliant.

This podcast is going to go out tomorrow,

so I won't have the scoop on the ID promise,

but that 100 days, if you're not happy,

hand it back.

And when you did the survey the year before last,

when IV drop buyers,

nine out of 10 of them will stay electric, so.

94% was the exact,

that once they went to electric,

said they were going to stay electric.

And this is for the people that are remaining,

maybe sitting on the fence,

that are unsure.

We need to give them the confidence.

We're the leader in this country in terms of BEV.

And if we want to lead,

we need to lead by example.

No other brand will try this,

and to go out there and say,

if you're not happy with the vehicle

in its first 100 days,

there's a mechanism that you can return it.

And it's a very open and transparent measure,

and we'll launch it over the coming weeks.

Great confidence.

Alan, thank you so much for your time.

Thank you very much, Stark.

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you set at the start of the year?

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and make your future self proud,

especially with the all-in-one nutrition shake from Kuchaba.

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and use code SMOOTHY for 15% off.

That's K-A-C-H-A-V-A.com code SMOOTHY.

There I was scrolling my phone,

and someone cracked open a Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus.

Next thing I know, I heard a rip.

My friend tried the splits and jeans,

but not a drop was spilled.

Have a blast with Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus,

a punch of tropical citrus flavor.

Cheers.

Hi, I'm Mark McGrath,

and I'm the head of marketing

and product for Cupra Ireland.

Cupra, a brand that's very loved

on the Nevo Evie Review YouTube channel.

Lots of interest in it, a good year in 2025.

Absolutely, yeah.

So we've had phenomenal growth for the brand in 2025.

We are up over 55% compared to 2024,

so really strong growth.

And we've had strong growth with the brand

from when we launched it back in 2022,

but it's really ramped up over the last year.

And I think a big driver of that

was the introduction of the Taviscan early in 2025,

which is fully electric, of course,

and we launched the Teramar shortly after,

which comes as a plug-in hybrid version as well.

So those two cars, in addition to the Born,

which is actually maintaining a really strong level of sales,

and the plug-in variants also available

on the form enter and the lay-on,

means that we've had that really strong year.

And in fact, when you look at the full sales

for Cupra in 2025,

over 50% of them are electrified now

between Bev and plug-in hybrid,

which is the highest in the group here

in Volkswagen Group Ireland.

I'm speaking to all of your colleagues

across all the different brands

and what I'm finding is

it's been a bumper year across the group,

but coming back to Cupra

and focusing on,

we obviously had a great activation

at the Nevo Electric Vehicle Show.

It was great to see that collaboration

with Mazer and ourselves and yourselves.

But 2026, another big year,

and having a great sales year means your target

just gets bigger for the 2026 number.

So no pressure, Mark.

No, no pressure at all.

Well, you know what we can see already?

January's nearly finished,

so it gives us a really good indicator

of the full years we all know,

and the momentum hasn't slowed down.

Brilliant.

Our January figures at the moment

are also up roughly 50%, 60%

compared to January 2025.

I think we're seeing the full effect now

of people knowing the Tavisca

and knowing the Terramar.

So that's really, really helpful.

So we have high targets, of course, for Cupra,

but so far we're cautiously competent, let's say,

but really where our head is at,

and I think all the other brands are the same,

is the introduction of the new

small electric cars

that the brands Skoda, Volkswagen and Cupra are launching.

We're first out of the gate

with the Raval, which is really, really great for us.

Obviously, all of the models are being made

in Martirelle and the HQ of Cupra,

so all of our focus is now going on to that.

We also have a refresh coming on the Born,

midway through the year, which is great.

The Born now, the main thing is

we're doing good upgrades to the interior,

and we are really bringing that exterior design language

that you see in the Tavisca and the Terramar,

the triangular LED headlights,

which would become very distinctively Cupra,

the rear LED illuminated with the logo,

so it's just giving that Born,

bringing it in line with the rest of its family members,

let's say, but I would say the Raval's the big one for us,

really, really looking for that forward to that,

I should say.

The initial test drives from people

from journalists around Europe have been

overwhelmingly positive, so yeah, really happy about that.

The cover drives, and then the actual drives

are going to be in a couple of weeks,

and Neva are going to be there to cover it,

so make sure you're following us

on the YouTube channel and across socials.

You might see a new presenter at that as well,

so new presenter coming to Neva,

and then the Born during the year,

so yeah, it's going to be another big year,

and it's the fact that you're coming out of the gates first,

no pressure on that either,

but it's the Spanish car, made in the Spanish factory,

it's going to be, and we had Marse on the channel

a couple of months ago,

very positive reaction on the podcast,

so he's not here today, unfortunately, he's unwell,

but you're a great substitute, Mark,

and your Spanish accent is phenomenal.

Thank you very much, sir, cheers, thank you.

But anything else you'd like to say about Kupra

coming for 26?

No, I think what I'd say going back to the MED Plus platform,

which is the one that the new models are coming on,

I would just actually compliment the group,

probably in this one, you know, it's no,

so everyone knows that the Vogue Second Group

works well on shared platforms,

but with this new one, I think the group

have probably done the best job yet

in delivering four already very distinct models

that are going to appeal to a much wider range

of people who are looking for that,

let's say somewhat smaller, more affordable electric vehicle,

and they really all have their own personality.

And we're gone away from the days of the cars

looking identical just with different badges.

They're completely different shapes, different interiors,

different ways of driving,

so I think it's just a really good result

for the group on that for sure.

Yeah, it's a testament for sure,

and what I find is in the industry,

we know what the underneath bits are,

what platform is based on,

but Joe Public and Josephine Public,

sometimes it doesn't bother them either,

it doesn't care that it's the same,

they share the same as whatever it may be.

No pressure, I keep saying no pressure.

The MEB platform plus really has to perform

because there's a lot of competition in the market,

but no doubt the group has come together

and has put all its best boffins on us,

and so good range, good price points,

fit and feel and finish won't be in doubt.

Absolutely, no, I mean, we've seen obviously

the first kind of prototypes of it,

it looks great, the reaction from everyone

is it looks great.

I haven't driven it, but you know,

some people already have different journeys around Europe

and the driving dynamics are meant to be really, really amazing.

What I've heard is one of the best electric cars,

a lot of them have driven already,

so no really looking forward to it.

Now we just have to deliver.

Exactly, Mark, thanks so much for your time.

Not at all, thanks, Eric.

My name is Christian Gusselheim,

the brand director for Audi.

Christian, 2025, tell me how the year performed for Audi,

obviously you had the Q6,

which is an important bone and mevo,

and the Q4 and the different variants,

the Bush, tell me how it went for yourselves.

2025 was a transitional year for us,

because we had a lot of runouts of very important models,

like the Q3, we didn't have the Q3 P8 half at,

or the hybrid at all in the market for the full year.

We have the Q5 in the runout and the A6,

but on the other hand,

it was obviously then a very good year for us

in terms of market introduction.

So we had 13 new model launches.

So all in all, and we actually planned for it,

we saw less cars previous year.

We were back 9%,

but what was also very important for us

was the very brand-building C-segment,

and we saw an uplift of 7% in this particular segment.

And on top to that, it was mainly PHEVs,

so Q7, Q8, PHEVs were extremely strong.

And going into the year 2026,

we saw a big uplift in terms of BAF and PHEVs,

because we particularly now, and you mentioned the Q6 already,

we have the A6 e-tron, we have the Q4,

we saw an uplift in BAF, but particularly in PHEVs.

Very good.

So last year, we had a share of 20% between BAF and PHEV,

and this grew in the order bank to 40%

going into the year 2026.

I saw all of those newer models

at the Brussels Motor Show,

it was a phenomenal corner and stand for Audi.

We also saw a glimpse of what's coming down the line

from Audi, out in its own on a little revolving,

we had the Concept C, a stunning looking car.

Everybody's very excited about this electric TT

that's going to be coming down the line.

Can you tell us anything about it,

or is it still under embargo?

No, it's not under embargo,

but how it was presented, that's the future for Audi,

it's also the future design language for the brand.

I would not call it a TT,

it's somewhere positioned between the R8 and the TT,

because it's also a C segment model,

which is slightly bigger,

but extremely exciting to see the car,

and it was also on the Motor Show in Munich,

so very cool and exciting car.

Something not electric related,

but we still have to talk about it

at the launch of the Formula One team,

another big collaboration with Revolute,

one of the NIO banks, so yeah,

Audi are back with a bang in that space as well,

so exciting times.

It's extremely exciting,

and we actually had the reveal of the car

last week in Berlin,

and now it all comes closer to the first race

on the 8th of March.

The first testings have started for Audi,

it's part of our DNA,

so we were always in motorsports,

we did very different things in the past.

Yes, with Quattro, et cetera.

Quattro, with Raleigh, with Le Mans,

recently Dakar, and now we go,

let's go into the kind of champion,

into the pinnacle, the Formula One,

which is really, really exciting.

With BEV in 2026 and on,

anything that we should know about with Audi,

people love the brand,

people want to go electric,

I know hybrid is a big part of it,

but what else can we expect from BEV and Audi in 2026?

Look, we will have an update,

a facelift of the Q4 coming in quarter two,

and then at the end of the year,

we will also have a new car which sit,

which will sit below the Q4,

which internally is called E3-C-O-V,

so it's a mixture of hatchback and SUV.

I think I saw camouflage pictures of this,

I did a one hour broadcast at New Year's Day

on my YouTube channel

and I have some camouflage pictures of that,

so lots of interesting in that.

Listen, thank you so much for your time

and have a great 2026.

Thank you very much.

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There I was scrolling my phone

and someone cracked open a Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus.

Next thing I know, I heard a rip.

My friend tried the splits and jeans,

but not a drop was spilled.

Have a blast with Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus,

a punch of tropical citrus flavor.

Pierre Boutin, CO and Managing Director

of Volkswagen Group Island.

Pierre, your Irish accent is getting stronger

and stronger every time I talk to you.

It's been a couple of years now that you've been here.

Indeed already, yes, but I'm still working hard

on the accent.

I picture you like a father figure

of all of the brands here in Ireland

and you must be very proud.

2025 was a phenomenal year again.

A record year again for all of our brands.

So we're very, very pleased.

We're counting over 600,000 people

are driving our cars every single day in Ireland.

So thank you to all loyal customers.

Frankly, it's been a great journey for us.

When you look across the brands,

you can also see how that electrification journey

is a real important part of the business,

be that full electric or plug-in hybrid.

You can see people want to go electric

if they're given the right option of model and price.

Yes, you know, our sales on full battery electric vehicles

last year were up 44%.

It's 25% of our total sales

in terms of electrified vehicles these days

and growing very fast.

In the second half of this year,

we're coming out with the entry-level BEVs

below 30,000 euros as a start in price.

So a lot more choices for consumers.

Great range.

And there's more and more coming with these cars.

So the technology is improving on an ongoing basis.

What I love across the group

is that you have a car for everybody,

every price point, every shape and size.

It's a podcast, but behind us,

we've got an e-caravelle,

people mover from Volkswagen,

all the way up to the Audi e-tron.

So it's some gorgeous models,

but distinct brands in their own right.

So there's a bit of minding on all that as well, Pierre.

I can imagine there's been people,

personnel changes as well within the group in head office.

Absolutely.

Our aim is to make sure that we don't cannibalize

any of our brands or others,

that we fit basically a specific target audience

with our brands and price point

in terms of also the overall equipment.

That said, there's one element

that aligns all of the brands.

It's the extreme quality, the fit and finish,

the drivability of the vehicles,

and the overall ease of maintenance of these vehicles.

So that's really overall what differentiates

our brand group portfolio of brands

versus other competitors.

I'm heading to Las Vegas next week to the NADA show.

And I remember sitting in a room with Volkswagen dealers

of North America years ago,

and they were worried about that electric car coming

because they all heard there wasn't going to be

the revenue from servicing, et cetera, et cetera,

but they're still maintenance required,

they're still repairs required,

there's warranty callbacks, et cetera.

So I think dealers now have understood

that the benefits of electric to them as their business model,

but also it's great to see the used car market

really starting to take off

across all the Volkswagen Group brands.

Indeed, you know, like any new technology,

people were a little bit apprehensive at the beginning.

Now people understand what it brings.

People had concerns relative to the longevity

of the battery, all along is it going to last.

And we see actually the cars are not coming back

because of battery challenges.

And definitely it's a great value proposition.

And you're right, in terms of consumers,

it's less investments in terms of maintenance.

So our dealers have had to adjust to adapt.

So we're looking more for loyalty.

We provide other value to consumers

so that they keep coming back to the dealership still.

So, and the level, if you look at the level

of satisfaction typically for an electric vehicle

against a combustion engine, it's much higher.

So it tells you people want to buy a new electric vehicle

once they've driven one.

And this is basically great for our future

as an industry and certainly for the group.

75 years of Volkswagen last year in Ireland,

we're here in your training headquarters.

And I'm looking at the Baldsbridge Beetle here,

gorgeous green color.

But when you take that and look at what's happening

announced today, Alan from Volkswagen,

that 100 day Volkswagen promise,

try an electric vehicle if you don't like it.

We'll swap you into a combustion engine or a hybrid.

That's great confidence in a product.

And that's not just Volkswagen

across all of the brands as well.

Well, absolutely.

We've built on trust for 75 years plus.

We've built four islands.

We want to tailor to our unique customers.

And for us, it's about taking care of people,

not only today, but also tomorrow,

the day after tomorrow and into the future.

And we want high satisfaction

with any purchases you're going to make.

Being a full battery electric vehicles

or even a combustion engine,

people have different, you know, alternatives nowadays.

And we want to provide them with the best experience

that can be found in the marketplace.

And you've been to a couple of marketplace, Pierre.

I know you're back in Canada, et cetera,

but people buy it from people.

People are local, they're in their community.

And Volkswagen have that dealer network

as well as Volkswagen, other brands,

Skoda, Cooper, et cetera.

And so that having the trust in the dealer,

but the dealer having the product

at the right price point

with the right quality, fit finish, et cetera.

That's what makes us a happy equation.

Yes, you know, like I don't have to tell you this,

our relationship is important in Ireland.

We have a lot of small communities

and our dealers are extremely present

and extremely involved.

I believe we have probably the best dealer network

in the market and they are extremely engaged

with their consumers.

We have a great technical team

to support the after sales.

We also have, you know,

we can count on the captive financing company

Volkswagen financial services.

Two-third of our customers are basically purchasing

or leasing through Volkswagen financial services.

And all of these things, it's peace of mind,

again, building trust.

And this is what the group can provide

with a high level of quality,

a high level of training that we provide

to our partners also.

We care about this business.

We don't take the success we're having today

for granted.

We want to earn, you know,

the trust of our customers on a daily basis.

The year 2026 is going to be a busy year.

We're going to extend our show to two days.

Thank you to Volkswagen Group for the support.

But we're going to have to run out of space

because that new model is going to be really important

for all of your brands.

It's at a price point.

It's at a range that people really want.

And it accompanies all the models

that you currently have in the marketplace.

So just widening that market base

for electric vehicle adoption within the Volkswagen Group.

Yes, you know, we were a little bit accused

at the beginning when we first arrived

with battery electric vehicles

of targeting the higher price points.

There was a lot of good reasons behind that.

Today, obviously we have the democratized,

the full lineup of Bev vehicles.

And you are in the business, you know,

not so long ago we had maybe a choices

in the market of 50 vehicles.

We passed a 100 vehicles market

on where we are now,

but there's more and more.

And what does that mean for consumers?

More competitions brings more value,

better technology, a better pricing.

So, and it becomes frankly something

that people are not afraid of anymore,

but something that they aspire to.

It becomes the norm.

Pierre, thank you so much for your time.

Thank you and all the best for you.

Smire, fresh, para todos.

Lunch was great, but this traffic is awful.

Um, can we stop at a bathroom?

Are you all right?

And keep having stomach issues after eating,

like diarrhea, gas and bloating,

abdominal pain and sometimes oily stools.

Sound familiar?

Those stomach issues may actually be a pancreas issue

called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI.

Crayon, pancreolipase, may help manage EPI.

Crayon is a prescription medicine used to treat people

who can't digest food normally

because their pancreas doesn't make enough enzymes.

Crayon may increase your chance of fibrosin

called an apathy or rare bowel disorder.

Tell your doctor if you have a history

of intestinal blockage or scarring

or thickening of your bowel wall.

If you are allergic to pork

or if you have gout, kidney problems

or worsening of painful swollen joints.

Call your doctor if you have any unusual

or severe gastrointestinal symptoms

or allergic reactions.

Take Crayon as directed by your doctor and always with food.

Do not chew capsule assist.

This may cause mouth irritation.

Other side effects may include blood sugar changes,

gastitis and a sore throat and cough.

These are not all the side effects of Crayon.

Call 800-6339110 or visit CrayonInfo.com to learn more.

That's C-R-E-O-N Info.com.

I'm asking my doctor about EPI

and if Crayon could help.

There I was scrolling my phone

then someone cracked open a Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus.

Next thing I know, I heard a rip.

My friend tried the splits and jeans

but not a drop was spilled.

Have a blast with Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus,

a punch of tropical citrus flavor.

Thanks to Volkswagen Group Ireland, Graham

for the invitation as mentioned

and also to all of the interviewees

and the brands that they represent

for their time for this podcast.

That's it for this week's Nevo EV News podcast.

Hopefully you've enjoyed it.

Strip into the comments and let us know.

Make sure you're sharing it.

Make sure you're liking the episodes, et cetera, et cetera.

And I look forward to chatting to you next week.

Volkswagen Group Ireland Drive 26 Press Conference with CUPRA, Skoda, Audi, Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Commercial Vehicles

About this episode

electric vehicles

Škoda Enyaq

Skoda Octavia

Skoda Felicia

Volkswagen Caravelle

PHEV

BEV

Volkswagen Id Buzz

Volkswagen Multivan

Volkswagen Id4

Volkswagen Id7S

Volkswagen ID.3 GTX

Volkswagen T-Roc

Volkswagen GTI 50

Volkswagen ID Polo

Volkswagen Polo

Taviscan

Cupra Terramar

Cupra Raval

Cupra Born

MEB platform

Audi Q6

Audi Q4

Audi Q3

Audi Q5

Audi A6

Audi Q8

Audi Q7

BAF

Audi Etron

Audi Quattro

electrification

Volkswagen Group

Volkswagen Beetle

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