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Coming soon: VW ID.2all
Volkswagen aims to make electric cars more affordable with the all-new ID.2all and its headline 25,000 euros starting price
Words by: Dan Trent
Published on 16 March 2023 | 0 min read
Time and time again you tell us one of the biggest barriers to going electric is not range anxiety or fears of the charging infrastructure but price. Sure, there are potentially big savings to be had in running costs with an electric car. But if you can’t afford to buy one in the first place you’re effectively locked out.
Enter the Volkswagen ID.2all, officially announced as a concept for now but promised to be on sale as soon as 2025 and with an eye-catching starting price in Europe of 25,000 euros. It’s too soon to say what figure will be here in the UK but the point is clear – VW wants to make electric cars more affordable and accessible than they are now and return to the ‘People’s Car’ roots its name literally stands for.
Enter the Volkswagen ID.2all, officially announced as a concept for now but promised to be on sale as soon as 2025 and with an eye-catching starting price in Europe of 25,000 euros. It’s too soon to say what figure will be here in the UK but the point is clear – VW wants to make electric cars more affordable and accessible than they are now and return to the ‘People’s Car’ roots its name literally stands for.
It’s doing this through the economies of scale made possible by the shared electric technology underpinning everything from the ID.3” hatchback to the VW ID.Buzz MPV, along with models from other cars within the family from Skoda, Cupra and Audi. By using the same battery packs, motors and control systems across all of these brands VW has been able to bring production costs down, the ID.2all using a new version of this same ‘platform’ underneath it with a 226 horsepower motor and range of nearly 280 miles. Unlike others in the family the ID.2all will be front-wheel drive, the traditional format for small hatchbacks like the Polo and Golf we’ve grown up with over the years.
VW isn’t yet saying how large the battery is in the ID.2all, but given this is one of the biggest costs in an electric car we’d expect it to follow the example of other ID models and be available in various different sizes so you can make your own choice by opting for a cheaper, smaller battery if you don’t need as much range. So, we’d say don’t be entirely surprised if that 25,000 euros version doesn’t necessarily have that headline 280-mile range or impressive power output.
VW isn’t yet saying how large the battery is in the ID.2all, but given this is one of the biggest costs in an electric car we’d expect it to follow the example of other ID models and be available in various different sizes so you can make your own choice by opting for a cheaper, smaller battery if you don’t need as much range. So, we’d say don’t be entirely surprised if that 25,000 euros version doesn’t necessarily have that headline 280-mile range or impressive power output.
For a supposedly small and affordable car the technology looks impressive as well, with the familiar digital instrument cluster and large central screen we’ve seen on other ID models but a new separate module beneath for physical air-con controls. Suggesting VW has been listening to criticism that burying this in the screen as it does on its existing electric models simply isn’t user friendly.
The design also previews a new visual style influenced by the original Golf and said to be built on the three pillars of “stability, likeability and excitement”, with CEO Thomas Schaefer offering the slightly cringey promise of it transforming VW into what he calls a “Love Brand.” In practical terms the ID.2all also looks pretty spacious inside, with a big boot and lots of luggage space. Will this be enough for VW to face down increasing competition from Chinese brands and affordable models like the ORA Funky Cat, MG4 or BYD Atto3? Time will tell, but if you thought electric cars were too expensive for you this is good news all round.
The design also previews a new visual style influenced by the original Golf and said to be built on the three pillars of “stability, likeability and excitement”, with CEO Thomas Schaefer offering the slightly cringey promise of it transforming VW into what he calls a “Love Brand.” In practical terms the ID.2all also looks pretty spacious inside, with a big boot and lots of luggage space. Will this be enough for VW to face down increasing competition from Chinese brands and affordable models like the ORA Funky Cat, MG4 or BYD Atto3? Time will tell, but if you thought electric cars were too expensive for you this is good news all round.
