If you’re waiting for future generations of internal combustion engines from Volkswagen, then you might be out of luck. A new report from Automotive News says that the next-generation gas and diesel cars might be the last.

Ever-increasing emissions and fuel economy regulations, combined with the threat of internal combustion bans from cities and even countries is playing a big part in the shift. Reducing CO2 emissions means moving the combustion to a larger and more efficient power plant and out of the automobile.

“Our colleagues are working on the last platform for vehicles that aren’t CO2 neutral,” VW strategy chief Michael Jost said this week. “We’re gradually fading out combustion engines to the absolute minimum.”

The automaker has been revealing more and more electric vehicles, ranging from the tiny VW I.D. to the Porsche Taycan. The I.D. Neo is expected to start production next year, with more arriving in 2020. The automaker is planning more than 300 electrified models by 2030.

Jost said that internal combustion won’t be gone completely, though, and that it can still last past 2050 in areas where charging infrastructure hasn’t caught up. But that will be modifications, not continuing with successive new generations.

[Source: Automotive News]

From VWVortex.com