Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
As we speak, Volkswagen's deliveries of its new-gen electric vehicles total the grand sum of zero, but it looks like things are about to change very quickly. The ID.3 went on sale late last month with the first deliveries expected to start either at the end of this month or the beginning of the next.
A lot is hanging on the company's first model developed on the MEB EV-dedicated platform, and Volkswagen can't afford anything other than a success. The model has already been plagued by some software issues that pushed its market release a few months, so there's very little room left for mistakes.
Despite the ID.3 being far from sorted out, the Wolfsburg-based giant has its next steps already laid out. We know the next model to follow the battery-powered hatchback is the ID.4, a crossover that will mark the debut of VW's new EVs on the North American market. With SUV and crossover demand going strong in the electric segment as well, it's almost a bit surprising Volkswagen didn't go the other way around with its first two models.
Now, though, the German media outlet Auto Motor und Sport claims to have information that Volkswagen is also preparing a replacement for the small e-Up city car. Called ID.1, the urban runabout is supposed to cost less than 20,000 euros ($23,500), making it a very tempting choice as a second or even third car for those who live in the city and don't have to commute over long distances.
The ID.1 won't be based on the same MEB platform, since reducing the wheelbase beyond that of the ID.3 would be impossible. Instead, the tiny EV is expected to use a spinoff version that could accommodate a smaller battery size (the smallest on the ID.3 is 48 kWh) and thus make the under-20,000 euros price possible. A larger version called ID.2 that will compete with the likes of Renault Zoe and Opel Corsa-e should follow, together with a lifted Cross model (think the electric equivalent of the VW T-Cross).
There's talk of 24 and 36 kWh units, with a maximum range of roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles). We feel like 124 miles isn't enough these days, not even for cars the size of a VW e-Up, so we'd expect something more in the region of 186 miles (320 km). A 36 kWh battery on a small car should be able to provide that kind of range, and it's the minimum customers are likely to accept, especially in three to four years from now when the ID.1 is expected to debut.
In all likelihood, the smaller Volkswagen EV will only be sold in Europe, with China the only other likely market. If things don't change over the next few years, that means customers in some countries will be able to purchase the ID.1 at an even lower price thanks to the incentives in place.
In Germany, for example, the government currently offers rebates of up to 9,000 euros (roughly $10,000) for purchasing a new EV, though it's hard to believe they will remain in place unchanged once the prices drop and near parity with conventionally-fueled cars. Either way, buying an EV from a major carmaker for less than 20,000 euros seemed impossible only a few years ago, so the prospect of the ID.1 is exciting regardless of the government subsidies.
Despite the ID.3 being far from sorted out, the Wolfsburg-based giant has its next steps already laid out. We know the next model to follow the battery-powered hatchback is the ID.4, a crossover that will mark the debut of VW's new EVs on the North American market. With SUV and crossover demand going strong in the electric segment as well, it's almost a bit surprising Volkswagen didn't go the other way around with its first two models.
Now, though, the German media outlet Auto Motor und Sport claims to have information that Volkswagen is also preparing a replacement for the small e-Up city car. Called ID.1, the urban runabout is supposed to cost less than 20,000 euros ($23,500), making it a very tempting choice as a second or even third car for those who live in the city and don't have to commute over long distances.
The ID.1 won't be based on the same MEB platform, since reducing the wheelbase beyond that of the ID.3 would be impossible. Instead, the tiny EV is expected to use a spinoff version that could accommodate a smaller battery size (the smallest on the ID.3 is 48 kWh) and thus make the under-20,000 euros price possible. A larger version called ID.2 that will compete with the likes of Renault Zoe and Opel Corsa-e should follow, together with a lifted Cross model (think the electric equivalent of the VW T-Cross).
There's talk of 24 and 36 kWh units, with a maximum range of roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles). We feel like 124 miles isn't enough these days, not even for cars the size of a VW e-Up, so we'd expect something more in the region of 186 miles (320 km). A 36 kWh battery on a small car should be able to provide that kind of range, and it's the minimum customers are likely to accept, especially in three to four years from now when the ID.1 is expected to debut.
In all likelihood, the smaller Volkswagen EV will only be sold in Europe, with China the only other likely market. If things don't change over the next few years, that means customers in some countries will be able to purchase the ID.1 at an even lower price thanks to the incentives in place.
In Germany, for example, the government currently offers rebates of up to 9,000 euros (roughly $10,000) for purchasing a new EV, though it's hard to believe they will remain in place unchanged once the prices drop and near parity with conventionally-fueled cars. Either way, buying an EV from a major carmaker for less than 20,000 euros seemed impossible only a few years ago, so the prospect of the ID.1 is exciting regardless of the government subsidies.
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