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VW's 'Voltswagen' name change might now be a hoax, report says

Despite initial confirmation from Volkswagen reps, this whole name-change thing might end up being a lame marketing stunt.

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Volkswagen: Coming with 100% more "volt."

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We thought it sounded suspiciously like an early April Fools' Day joke when Volkswagen of America announced Tuesday that it would officially change its name to Voltswagen of America. The company's corporate Twitter handle was changed and VW offered a short explanation for why it felt this was the right time for a rebrand, but things still felt a little strange. Company officials even flat-out told us the rebrand was 100% legit. But according to a report on Tuesday by Reuters, it turns out it might've been a hoax all along.

USA Today first spotted a release, meant to publish April 29 and now deleted, that detailed the brand's shift to the "Voltswagen" name here in the US. But if three unnamed Reuters sources are to be believed, the whole thing will be revealed on Wednesday as a big marketing stunt to draw attention to VW's new ID 4 and other forthcoming EVs. In short, this has all been a colossal waste of everyone's time.

In addition to the general suddenness and weirdness of the whole name-change thing, several Twitter users have found that seemingly basic steps in a corporate rebrand have been skipped -- namely buying the new URL. As of this writing, "voltswagen.com" appears to be unoccupied. That's not the kind of thing a major automaker screws up (unless you're Nissan).

VW continues to invest aggressively in electrification and battery technologies following its diesel emissions scandal last decade, and plans for a host of new EVs for the US in the near term. It starts with the ID 4, though we'll also likely see an electric sedan, a wagon and the production version of the ID Buzz van. Each will ride on the automaker's MEB platform, which aims to mass-produce affordable EVs.

2021 VW ID 4 in the wild

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Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.

Article updated on March 30, 2021 at 2:00 PM PDT

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Sean Szymkowski,
Kyle Hyatt
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Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
Kyle Hyatt Former news and features editor
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).
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