The U.S. rollout of the Volkswagen ID4 has been delayed from late December till late within the first quarter of 2021, partially to shift output of the electrical compact crossover to markets in Europe, the place the corporate is dealing with giant fines for not hitting emissions targets, Automotive Information has discovered.

Initially, VW deliberate to start delivering at the very least just a few ID4 fashions in California and different zero-emission automobile states earlier than the top of the 12 months, with a 50-state launch throughout its community of 650 U.S. dealerships deliberate for the primary half of 2021. It is going to now launch the ID4 throughout the U.S., as an alternative of simply ZEV states, with preliminary deliveries slated for March, in accordance with sources accustomed to the plan.

A VW spokesman on Friday confirmed the amended timeline, saying in a press release to Automotive Information: “We’re executing our plan. We’ll nonetheless have just a few hundred automobiles for buyer occasions and drive packages early subsequent 12 months, with the 50-state retail launch beginning in March, timed to the spring promoting season. We would like this launch to have the largest impression doable with a gentle cadence as soon as ID.4 begins to reach at dealerships.”

Top VW executives announced Oct. 29 that the corporate expects to be fined in Europe this 12 months for failing to attain its carbon dioxide discount goal for its new-car fleet. The ID4 — a Tiguan-sized crossover constructed on the automaker’s modular electrical platform — is currently produced for Europe and North America in Zwickau, Germany, alongside the Golf-sized ID3 hatchback EV that isn’t destined for the U.S.

European gross sales of the ID3 have been delayed this 12 months by nagging software program points. The delay held up the deliberate begin of manufacturing of the ID4 for a number of weeks.

By prioritizing gross sales of the 2 EVs in Europe via the top of the 12 months, VW can decrease the fines it expects to incur. As of final month, a second plant, in Shanghai, was producing ID4 variants on the market within the Chinese language market.

VW of America accepted hundreds of $100 refundable deposits when it launched the ID4 in September, and sellers have begun contacting shoppers to finalize their orders earlier than supply.

Volkswagen has lots using on the success of the ID4. All however a small handful of its U.S. sellers have signed as much as promote the automobile, and the corporate believes it might promote greater than 20,000 of the German-built EVs within the U.S. subsequent 12 months, thanks partially to a $379/month lease choice and a promise of free charging. The sticker worth is $41,190, together with delivery; that excludes any federal and state incentives.

U.S. manufacturing of the ID4 is scheduled to start in 2022 after an $800 million expansion of VW’s plant in Chattanooga is accomplished. The plant presently builds the three-row Atlas and two-row Atlas Cross Sport crossovers, together with the Passat sedan.

VW model world CEO Ralf Brandstätter mentioned this month that manufacturing of the slow-selling Passat would finish at an unspecified date. The midsize sedan’s sunsetting was anticipated. In 2018, Volkswagen opted to freshen the ageing four-door in North America as an alternative of redesigning it onto the modular MQB platform, because it did elsewhere on the planet.