Volkswagen Surprises and Admits Historic Design Error: CEO Confirms End of Disliked Flush Door Handles in New Electric ID. Cross and ID. Polo Models

Written by Felipe Alves da Silva

Published on 16/09/2025 at 16:17

Updated on 16/09/2025 at 16:19

CEO da Volkswagen, Thomas Schäfer, confirma o fim das maçanetas embutidas nos novos modelos elétricos ID. Cross e ID. Polo.

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In Full Transition to Electric Vehicles, Volkswagen Recognizes Design Flaw, Abandons Retractable Door Handles, and Adopts More Practical Solutions to Win Over Traditional Consumers

Volkswagen is undergoing a strategic turnaround that could redefine the brand’s future. While preparing a new generation of fully electric models, such as the ID. Cross and a 100% electric version of the acclaimed Polo, the German automaker has decided to listen to consumers and reconsider design choices that did not resonate with the public. The movement starts with something seemingly simple, yet crucial for the user experience: the return of conventional door handles.

During the IAA Mobility in Munich, Volkswagen’s CEO, Thomas Schäfer, gave an interview to Deutsche Welle where he addressed sensitive points in the current automotive industry. Among these, he highlighted the rejection of retractable door handles, which have become common in various electric vehicles, but displeased a significant portion of customers.

CEO Admits Error in Door Handle Design

Schäfer directly stated that the implementation of embedded door handles was a design mistake. According to him, “people expect familiarity with the car they are buying. They choose the brand for ease of use.”

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The Safety Issue and International Pressure

This repositioning of Volkswagen does not occur in isolation. In China, the largest automotive market in the world, authorities are studying a possible ban on retractable door handles after reports of failures in emergency situations. If this regulation is implemented, the effect could be global, forcing other manufacturers to reevaluate the use of this design trend that has spread in recent years.

According to information published by the portal noticiasautomotivas, the German automaker’s decision demonstrates a movement aligned with consumer demands and may anticipate future international standards.

Aerodynamics or Usability: Volkswagen’s Choice

Although the decision to abandon embedded door handles may generate some impact on the aerodynamics of the new electric vehicles, Volkswagen believes that the gain in usability in everyday life compensates for any minimal loss in efficiency. For the automaker, the priority is to deliver cars that combine technology and practicality, avoiding futuristic solutions that hinder the real experience of drivers.

This stance reflects a thought process increasingly prevalent in the industry: it is not enough to launch modern vehicles; it is essential to ensure that they are functional for the average consumer, who seeks comfort, safety, and familiarity.

Challenges of the Energy Transition by 2035

Another point highlighted by Thomas Schäfer was the European Union’s goal to end sales of combustion vehicles by 2035. While supporting the advancement of electric cars, the CEO raised concerns about the infrastructure needed to sustain this transition.

“The goal is clear,” he stated. “But the question is whether we can get there in time. Is the charging infrastructure growing fast enough? This 2035 deadline may need to be reassessed.”

This statement shows that, even with technological advancement, there are still logistical and structural obstacles to ensure the popularization of EVs on the continent.

Volkswagen’s New Philosophy to Win Over Consumers

With a more down-to-earth approach, Volkswagen seeks to avoid the mistakes of forced futurism. The brand is now betting on more accessible, functional, and reliable electrics, without sacrificing user experience for the sake of aesthetic trends.

Models like the ID. Cross and the ID. Polo are examples of this new vision: modern design, but with features that respect the expectations of the traditional consumer. For Schäfer, this is the key to attracting drivers who are still hesitant to migrate to electrification.

By acknowledging mistakes and correcting course, Volkswagen reinforces its position as one of the most influential automakers in the world, capable of setting trends while listening to customers.

Volkswagen Surprises and Admits Historic Design Error: CEO Confirms End of Disliked Flush Door Handles in New Electric ID. Cross and ID. Polo Models

In Full Transition to Electric Vehicles, Volkswagen Recognizes Design Flaw, Abandons Retractable Door Handles, and Adopts More Practical Solutions to Win Over Traditional Consumers

CEO Admits Error in Door Handle Design

The Safety Issue and International Pressure

Aerodynamics or Usability: Volkswagen’s Choice

Challenges of the Energy Transition by 2035

Volkswagen’s New Philosophy to Win Over Consumers

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Volkswagen Surprises and Admits Historic Design Error: CEO Confirms End of Disliked Flush Door Handles in New Electric ID. Cross and ID. Polo Models

In Full Transition to Electric Vehicles, Volkswagen Recognizes Design Flaw, Abandons Retractable Door Handles, and Adopts More Practical Solutions to Win Over Traditional Consumers

CEO Admits Error in Door Handle Design

The Safety Issue and International Pressure

Aerodynamics or Usability: Volkswagen’s Choice

Challenges of the Energy Transition by 2035

Volkswagen’s New Philosophy to Win Over Consumers

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Ethiopia has banned gasoline and diesel cars, placed over a hundred silent electric buses on the streets of Addis Ababa, and now aims for half a million electric vehicles by 2030, all powered by Africa’s largest dam and a courage that few countries have shown.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

Chinese engineers begin filling a 217-meter dam at an altitude of 3,000 meters and prepare a 2,240 MW hydroelectric power plant to integrate hydropower, solar, and wind energy in the upper Jinsha.

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