Why The Volkswagen GTI’s Electric Transformation Is Ruffling Purists’ Feathers

The official announcement of the Volkswagen Golf GTI EV garnered a decidedly mixed response among consumers in online communities such as Reddit. One major point of contention is the simple fact that the car is defined as a GTI, even though it’s an electric vehicle that doesn’t use the direct fuel injection system that the greater line originally derived its name from. “I wish car companies would stop trying to ride the bandwagon on their popular gas cars by sticking the name on EVs,” u/AgreeablePie commented in a thread.

Others have shared concerns that the translation of the Golf GTI into an electric car may cause it to compromise on certain qualities that the greater line is historically well-regarded for. For example, some are worried that the additional weight of the unit — which is typically caused by the incorporation of a heavy battery in EVs — will be at odds with the Golf GTI’s reputation for being a lightweight, speedy car. “I feel like part of the magic of the hot hatch is that they’re so damn light, but having an EV battery definitely throws the weight/handling in a different direction,” u/darkpaladin wrote.

Finally, there’s the simple fact that some consumers aren’t too enthused by the increasing presence of EVs among the line-up for various major car brands like Volkswagen. Some people still prefer hybrids to EVs and feel as though a purely electric option like the Golf GTI EV is an overeager step for the manufacturer. “This is really pissing me off with pushing EVs on everyone,” u/VividSturm88 commented. “We are still far away from mainstream acceptance, and vast majority of people do not want one. We need more choices as well.”