Fast Volkswagen EVs set to switch to GTI badge

High-performance Volkswagen electric cars could soon be badged GTI, with the European auto giant lodging a redesigned GTI logo – with a clear EV reference – with the German Patent and Trademark Office.

Until now, the fastest battery-electric VW models have carried the GTX nameplate.

The GTX moniker has already been applied to the Volkswagen ID.4, ID.5 and the incoming ID. Buzz, but it looks like the fledgling sub-brand may now give way to the more established GTI – and potentially R – badges.

The patent, filed on July 25, shows how VW plans to substitute the ‘I’ element in GTI for a thunderbolt – a playful reference to the all-electric powertrain.

Current rumours suggest that the first use of the famous performance nameplate could appear on the future Volkswagen ID. Golf that’s due to launch by 2028.

VW’s incoming zero-emissions compact car based on the ID.2all concept might be another candidate for the famous GTI badge.

A sportier version of the ID.2all is already in development, rumoured to produce more than 166kW and capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in less than 7.0 seconds.

The motivation for dropping the GTX moniker is that it hasn’t connected enthusiasts.

The first time the famous GTI badged appeared on the performance car scene was back in 1976 with the Mk1 Golf GTI that helped create the hot hatch genre.

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