For the first time, Volkswagen has announced plans to start generating its maximum ID. 1 electric car, starting at €20,000 ($21,700), in 2027. The $20,000 Volkswagen ID. 1 will offer “electric mobility for all,” VW logo leader Thomas Shafer said on Thursday.
“The current name is ID. 1 and the vehicle is planned for 2027,” Shafer said at VW’s annual press convention on Thursday.
Work on ID. 1 is already well underway. Shafer said: “We’re already in the middle of this, we know what the car looks like. However, the biggest challenge will be deciding where to build it.
“It’s an incredibly complicated economic challenge,” Shafer explained. Due to the charging of the batteries, Volkswagen can produce a $20,000 (20,000 euro) electric vehicle by mass producing it.
Shafer said Volkswagen will “make a decision shortly” on where the $20,000 ID. 1 will be built. VW is also in talks with Renault to build a small electric car for the mass market.
Shafer showed that the company is sticking to its EV game plan and will launch 11 new VW-branded models through 2027. The ID. 1 will be one of them.
It will stick to the ID. 2, which was introduced last March as a concept. The ID. 2all concept is “spacious as a Golf and affordable as a Polo,” according to VW.
Shafer says the EV concept shows “where we need to take the brand. “Based on a new basic edition of its MEB platform, the concept offers a diversity of 279 miles, starting at less than $27,000 (€25,000). introduced in 2026.
In December, VW design spokesperson Stepan Rehak released the first teaser for the ID. 2all SUV, the big brother of electric vehicles.
In the U. S. , Volkswagen has shown that it will launch a new, larger electric SUV. The logo plans to continue its expansion in North America with the launch of the ID. 7 and ID Buzz this year. VW has also unveiled an updated model. ID. 4 (see our review) with more reach.
Thomas Schäfer is the name of this VW CEO, not “Shafer”. Call it Shepherd if you want, but don’t combine any more calls.
Volkswagen is one of many automakers introducing more affordable electric vehicles. The comments stick to the official debut of the R2 via U. S. startup Rivian, which will debut with a price tag of $45,000. That’s almost part of the existing upfront costs of the R1S and R1T. CEO RJ Scaringe also brought the R3, a smaller and even more affordable electric vehicle.
Ford, Tesla, Hyundai, Kia, GM and others are making plans to launch more electric models as automakers look to expand the EV market into new segments.
Although media headlines mislead with claims such as “EV euphoria is dead,” EV adoption continues to grow and is expected to increase in the coming years. The key for many brands will be to introduce more affordable electric cars to appeal to buyers who are hesitant to go electric.
Who will win the race to launch more electric vehicles?Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Peter Johnson covers the automotive industry’s step-by-step transformation to electric vehicles. He is a seasoned investor, money writer, and electric vehicle enthusiast. His enthusiasm for electric vehicles, primarily Tesla, is one of the main reasons he pursued a career in investing. If he doesn’t tell you about his latest discoveries in the 10K, you can spot him enjoying the outdoors or exercising.