Volkswagen accidentally leaks plans to officially change name to ‘Voltswagen’

Early Monday morning, a German carmaker accidentally posted its plans to officially change its name from Volkswagen to ‘Voltswagen’.

An unreleased press release was uploaded and then immediately taken down from its website. The name change is expected to take effect in May and will be the company’s official corporate name in the US to emphasise its move towards an electric future.

According to a report in CNBC, the company spokesperson refrained from commenting, but a person familiar with the company confirmed its plans.

The release said this is a “public declaration of the company’s future-forward investment in e-mobility.” All future electric models from the company would feature the Voltswagen badge while its gas-powered offerings would still be badged with VW to keep with the company’s heritage.

Currently, the only electric model on sale in the United States is the ID.4 electric SUV. There are plans for the company to bring back the iconic microbus in an EV form, but that still a while away.

Volkswagen only recently held a ‘Power day’ to discuss their EV technologies. The company is also planning to raise its EV sales targets from 35 percent to 70 percent by 2030 in the European countries.