Volkswagen prepares to fly to the sun...metaphorically
The automaker is reportedly in talks with the German company SMA Solar to help bolster its move toward electrification.
What's the best way to get people to forget about your grievous misdeeds with diesel vehicles? Why, drop them entirely and place the focus on something else, of course. VW's gone all-in on plans to electrify its lineup, but an effort that great requires collaboration, and now it's turning to the sun...or a company that harnesses it, rather.
Volkswagen is in talks with German equipment manufacturer SMA Solar regarding a potential collaboration, Reuters reports. SMA makes parts for home storage solutions, and Daimler and Tesla have already partnered up with the company for similar projects, all likely related to vehicle electrification.
VW's pledged to throw billions of dollars into electrifying its lineup, and the automaker hopes to launch dozens of electric cars over the next decade. This move has been accelerated by the troubles it's faced after admitting to selling over-polluting diesel vehicles around the world. Diesels were never the future, anyhow -- just a stopgap until more efficient vehicles are produced -- and Volkswagen has not shied away from admitting that.
Tesla and Nissan have electric ambitions, too, but both companies are extending beyond EVs. Both companies have home storage solutions -- Powerwall and xStorage, respectively. Tesla has also made moves to purchase SolarCity, where Tesla CEO Elon Musk already sits on the board. Furthermore, Tesla's latest "master plan" made specific mention of using way more solar power than we currently are.
We have a very large fusion reactor hovering above our heads for half the day. We may as well try to use it better than we currently are.
