Volkswagen to stop making Beetle: Things to know about the iconic car

Hinrich Woebcken, head of Volkswagen of America, has said that the company will ramp up its electrification strategy and that there are no plans to replace the Beetle

Volkswagen said on Thursday it would stop producing its Beetle compact car in 2019, ending a model that looked back to the 1960s counterculture as the automaker prepares for a leap towards a future of mass-market electric cars.

The end of the Beetle comes at a turning point for Volkswagen. The German automaker's last three years have been rocked by the fallout from a scandal caused by its admitted cheating on diesel emissions tests. Now, Volkswagen is gearing up to launch a wave of electric vehicles to appeal to a new generation of environmentally conscious consumers - children and grandchildren