Just after announcing the return of the Twingo to Renault, in the form of an electric car for less than €20,000, Volkswagen suggested that it shared a similar objective. We now know a little more about the first electric car for less than €20,000 excluding bonuses from the German manufacturer, which will be launched after the production version of the ID concept. 2all.
The one already called ID.1, although its final name is not yet known, will mark Volkswagen’s next step in its strategy to democratize the electric car. “We need a smaller car that is affordable for a wider customer base. This is why we are targeting €25,000 for the ID 2all and we are investing in the development phase of a vehicle for less than €20,000 — c “is that Volkswagen”explains Kai Grünitz, head of technical development at the manufacturer, in an interview with Coach.
A real electric people’s car
The ID.1 will therefore be more compact and less versatile than the ID.2: “The ID.1 will be close to the up! regarding the use of this car”, explains Kai Grünitz. As a reminder, the Volkswagen up! was available in an electric version e-up!, which then benefited from improvements under the name e-up! 2.0. Given that Volkswagen would like to return to more classic names for its electric models, it is not excluded that the ID.1 uses the name up!.
It could be launched in 2027, estimates Coach, and will be based on a platform distinct from the MEB Entry of the ID.2. It should also include less on-board technology. “Maybe you could bring your own device in this car instead of having a huge infotainment system, or something like that”, explains Kai Grünitz. This was already the case for the up!, as well as on board the entry-level version of the Citroën ë-C3.
The battery, which is the most expensive element of an electric car, will also be reduced compared to the ID.2. You should therefore not expect very long autonomy, nor record charging powers. The Volkswagen e-up! 2.0 had a range of up to 260 km, a good figure for an electric minicity car (segment A), which is not intended to be as versatile as a… versatile city car (segment B).
To be able to offer this car at such a low price, while remaining profitable, Volkswagen and Renault entered into discussions for a possible partnership. Kai Grünitz indicated that pooling technological development with Renault remained a possibility. To be continued.