Wardsauto.com reports that at a recent Green Car Summit in Washington, D.C., Volkswagen of America president Stefan Jacoby broke ranks with other panelists when he downplayed the importance of electric cars and hybrids in Volkswagen’s product development plans. Saying that he wanted to be “a little more realistic about EVs”, Jacoby predicted that not more than 10% of his company’s U.S. sales would be electrics by 2020.

Obstacles that stand in the way of expanded use of electrics and plug-in hybrids include the lack of charging infrastructure, the enormous amount of capital that it will take to bring electric vehicles to market and the fact that fossil fuels remain fairly inexpensive, especially in the U.S. Like other European automakers, VW believes that clean diesel technology will be far more important in achieving environmental and energy goals in the near term.

Jacoby went on to say that government regulation alone will not achieve those goals, insisting that VW makes “cars for consumers, not government regulators”.

Brutally honest, but honest nonetheless.

--M.D.