General News
10 October, 2024
VeeDub celebrates 70 years
AN epic 33,548km Australian endurance test, a Guinness World Record win, and the launch of an electrified motoring future in Australia - Volkswagen had much to celebrate on its 70th birthday event at Sydney Harbour last week.
Representatives of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Volkswagen Financial Services and others, witnessed Driver Rainer Zietlow receive the Guinness World Record certificate for the biggest GPS image made by a vehicle.
He and co-driver and photographer Marius Biela inscribed “70 years of VeeDub” across remote parts of Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory, then ‘framed’ this with a circumnavigation of the country driving the ID.4 GTX, soon to arrive on our shores.
The message took 23,901km of the 42-day journey that involved 132 charging points, often in outback regions where battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are seldom seen.
Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles Director Michal Szaniecki said the “immense scope of this journey reflects the ambition shared by all of VGA’s brands for electro mobility”.
“Sand, snow and flooding rain – in few countries are such a challenging diversity of conditions encountered at the same time of year,” he said.
“The fact that this ID.4 GTX had been driven more than 50,000km even before it was brought into Australia to do this unique, massive test drive, tells customers that Volkswagen offers the highest quality, durability, range capability and has a nationwide network to support them.”
The ID.4 GTX – a World Car of the Year – and the ID.5 GTX are enroute to Australia, with pricing to be announced shortly.
Volkswagen Group Australia (VGA) Managing Director Karsten Seifert said the 70th birthday event and celebration of the record marked the start of “the next seven decades in this country not only for Volkswagen, but all VGA brands”.
Volkswagen Group Australia consists of Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and CUPRA.
“VGA’s is implementing a BEV Strategy that is multi-faceted, a plan that provides customers with comprehensive, whole of ownership packages including the installation of home charging to make the transition to electric mobility seamless.”
In addition to the ID.4 Pro and ID.5 GTX; Volkswagen’s already iconic ID.Buzz “electric Kombi” people mover and Buzz Cargo van are also on the way to Australia. This month Skoda’s Enyaq SUV Coupe went on sale and will join Audi’s Q4 and CUPRA’s Tavascan in being delivered by the year’s end.
“Australia’s relationship with electric vehicles is maturing, but this country has a long standing love affair with pickup trucks – or ‘utes’ as we say here,” Mr Seifert said. “So, we are also announcing another endurance effort, this time in the Amarok.”
Mr Zietlow will next month drive through Australia’s deserts to showcase the twin cab utility Volkswagen Amarok Style V6, with accessories fitted by Volkswagen and sponsors ARB.
