Volkswagen on Wednesday unveiled a concept car that offers the first real look at an affordable EV that promises to be launched for the European market in 2025.
The Volkswagen ID.2all concept previews a future production model that will have a base price of 25,000 euros (about $26,500 at today’s exchange rates) and will use a new variant of the popular MEB platform by an automaker called MEB Entry. This is one of 10 new electric car models that VW plans to launch globally by 2026.
The ID.2all is a hatchback with slightly more conventional styling than current ID-family models like the ID.4 crossover. The angled rear roofpost is reminiscent of the petrol Volkswagen Golf, an interesting feature considering the reports that VW e-Golf may return following delays to the automaker’s Project Trinity flagship EV.
Concept Volkswagen ID.2all
At 159.4 inches long, the ID.2all is nearly 2 feet shorter than the ID.4, with a 6.6-inch shorter wheelbase. It’s also 4.3 inches lower and 1.6 inches narrower than the crossover. According to VW, those sizes mean from 17.3 cubic feet to 46.9 cubic feet of storage space.
Range is estimated at just under 280 miles on the European WLTP test cycle. Battery capacity is not disclosed, but DC fast charging takes 20 minutes to charge 10% to 80%. The infotainment system has an EV route planner to help with charging stops, and the ID.Light and Travel Assist features from current MEB models are also carried over.
Power comes from a single electric motor producing 222 horsepower, which VW says is enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 7.0 seconds and to a top speed of 99 mph. The ID.2all is also the first MEB-based vehicle with front-wheel drive; everything else so far is single-engine rear-wheel drive or dual-motor four-wheel drive.
Concept Volkswagen ID.2all
In addition to ID.2all’s MEB Entry architecture, VW is expected to launch an updated version of its main MEB platform called MEB+ with charging and battery updates. This will give the MEB platform, first detailed in 2018, a mid-decade boost to keep up with changes in the electric vehicle market.
Before the production ID.2all makes its European debut (unconfirmed in the US), VW will launch a refreshed version of the ID.3 hatchback for the European market, along with a long-wheelbase version. of the ID.Buzz van and the ID.7 sedan, both of which will arrive in the US in 2024. They will be followed by an electric compact SUV in 2026, VW confirmed.
VW is also planning an even cheaper electric model with prices starting at under 20,000 euros (about $21,000 at current exchange rates). This can be based on ID.Life concept VW launches in 2021, which the automaker says will be based on a stripped-down version of the MEB platform called MEB Small.
