VW changing to Voltswagen—early April fool or corporate rebranding? [Updated]

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  In April 2020, Volkswagen tweaked its corporate logo. [credit: Volkswagen ]

Update, 8:11am: Apparently it's real. "We might be changing out our K for a T, but what we aren't changing is this brand's commitment to making best-in-class vehicles for drivers and people everywhere," said Scott Keogh, president and CEO of Voltswagen of America in a press release. "The idea of a 'people's car' is the very fabric of our being. We have said, from the beginning of our shift to an electric future, that we will build EVs for the millions, not just millionaires. This name change signifies a nod to our past as the peoples' car and our firm belief that our future is in being the peoples' electric car," Keogh said.

Original story, 7:53 am:On Monday, automotive journalist twitter was roiled by the news that Volkswagen-literally the people's car in German-was going to change its name in the US. According to CBNC, a press release published on VW's US media site on March 29, but dated April 29 and since deleted, said that from this May, VW will now stand for Voltswagen.

Yes, volt, with a T, as in the measure of electric potential named for Italian scientist Alessandro Volta, and not volks, which is German for people. The release apparently explained the rebranding as a "public declaration of the company's future-forward investment in e-mobility."

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