German car brand Volkswagen announced that it is changing its name to Voltswagen in the USA, but the move turned out to be an early April Fool's Day joke.
The announcement was first leaked and then made via a press release dated March 30 on Volkswagen's US website.
The name change, which was described as a "public declaration of the company's future-forward investment in e-mobility", was widely reported as a fact in publications including the Independent newspaper,
Associated Press, Sky News and CNBC, many of which were told directly by Volkswagen that the rebrand was not a joke.
Rename was an early April Fool's Day joke
According to the release, the car brand had switched the k in its name to a t so that its name now includes the word volt ? a measure of electricity. "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 Volkswagen of America.

However, amid widespread confusion and reported impact on its share price, Volkswagen later admitted that the name change had been an early April Fool's Day joke.
According to the car company the stunt was to promote its broad commitment to electrification and promote its new electric utility vehicle.
Many reported what "we now know to be false"
However, the joke may have backfired with the Associated Press describing it as "an unwelcome prank&quo...