VW PLOTS NEW WAVE OF AFFORDABLE EVS TO END SALES STALL

New ID 1, ID 2 and ID 2X to lead entry-level EV push – and firm commits to further ICE models

- GREG KABLE

Volkswagen is preparing for one of the most comprehensive product offensives in its 87-year history, with 10 new electric and combustion-engined models due to be launched over the next three years as it reshapes its core lineup. Against a backdrop of stalled sales, deep cost cuts and workforce layoffs at home, the aim of VW's reinvention is to propel the German company back to its former strength, profitability and global competitiveness.

At the heart of this renewed push are the ID 1, ID 2 and ID 2X, the new front-wheel-drive, entry-level electric cars that have been conceived as electric successors to the Up, Polo and T-Cross. Alongside this new trio, the German company will look to bring to market a wider range of electric cars – such as a Golf EV – while upgrading its current crop of combustion-engined bestsellers as part of a renewed push for its ICE models.

A NEW ELECTRIC ENTRY POINT

Seen by VW as probably the most vital of all its upcoming models, especially in terms of mass EV adoption, is the ID 1. Previewed by the ID Every1 concept earlier this year, the new entry-level model has been billed by VW CEO Thomas Schäfer as “the last piece of the puzzle” in the firm’s electric transformation. “This is the car the world has been waiting for,” he said at its unveiling in March.

The production ID 1 is scheduled to hit the road in 2027 and will be priced from £17,000, which will position it as a premium rival to the cheapest EVs currently on sale, such as the £16,000 Leapmotor T03 and £15,000 Dacia Spring.

The arrival of a 3880mm-long, five-door hatchback will also give VW a foot in an increasingly popular market segment that is expected to experience robust growth in future years with the imminent arrival of models from ‘legacy’ brands, such as the Renault Twingo.