Volkswagen ID.3 Prototype Test Drive Previews the Electric Car Future

The first test drive review of a pre-production prototype, released by Autocar, makes everything feel very rear. I mean, it's real to a lot of people already, as they have about 20,000 orders, but that's barely a twentieth of total Golf sales.

The thing Tesla can't do yet is to sell a million cars... or make them, depending on how you look at it. Analysts say that's the magic number, the break-even point. However, we looked at the ID 3 very carefully, and VW probably makes money even before that.

You see, beyond the battery and the electric motors, the rest of the car is made using some conventional parts. We've already spotted a few on ID concepts that will be installed on the Golf and other VW Group cars in the near future, like the infotainment or the climate control switches. Which doesn't mean the ID.3 is boring or unimaginative.

For example, they've left room on top of the dash for an upcoming augmented reality system. And because the electric motor is at the back, the front wheels can turn much more freely, making it a nimble city car. However, with about 1.6 tons of weight, most of it in the middle of the car, this 204 horsepower EV won't drive like a BMW 1 Series, the reviewer says.

The bit we're worried about is something Volkswagen never talks about: trunk space. Golf, Octavia, Leon - they all owe their popularity in part to having some spacious backends. But the MEB doesn't appear ideal in this regard, and there are no wagons planned, just hatchbacks, sedans and SUVs.