Has the mainstream market been opened up by the first people’s electric vehicle (EV) as Volkswagen reveals sub £22,000 ID. 2 all concept electric car?
Volkswagen has provided a first glimpse of its ID. 2all concept vehicle, the brand’s first electric car costing less than £22,000 (€25,000). This will be Volkswagen’s first front-wheel-drive electric car and it will offer up to 280 miles (450km) of range. The production version will be based on Volkswagen’s MEB Entry platform when it’s launched to the European market in 2025. With the sub €25,000 price tag is this the first people’s electric car?
The ID. 2all concept vehicle is a smaller car that has a friendly yet sporty and dynamic design. It is just one of 10 new electric models Volkswagen is launching by 2026. It’s an exciting time for Volkswagen who announced yesterday a €180 billion investment in electric vehicles.
My first car way back when was a Golf Mark 1 so sleek-looking smaller cars, like the ID. 2all concept, always appeal to me. I think the ID. 2all concept is a great-looking smaller car.
Thomas Schäfer, Volkswagen Passenger Cars CEO, said: “We are transforming the company rapidly and fundamentally – with the clear objective of making Volkswagen a genuine Love Brand.
“The ID. 2all shows where we want to take the brand: close to the customer, top technologies and a fantastic design. We are implementing the transformation at pace to bring electric mobility to the masses.”
This all sounds exciting, and initially, the price point sounds attractive, with so many electric cars in the UK and Europe costing well over £30,000. Over the last 24 hours, there has been lots of talk about this car being a game-changer in the electric car space – a zero emissions vehicle for the masses.
The price is hugely competitive currently in Europe and I am sure Volkswagen will receive huge orders for this car that could go on to be as popular as the Golf. I could even see myself driving one.
But. There is always a but right? I want to play devil’s advocate here and ask the question: Is this truly the affordable car that’s going to create the mass adoption of electric cars? I’m not sure it is. Like the Golf, which was hugely popular and a car I hold dear, it wasn’t the most affordable car on the road at the time. It was a hugely desirable smaller car and that is different.
In China, for example, electric cars are being offered at far lower price points. Take Wuling’s HongGuang Mini EV for example, this was initially available for just $4,200 (£3,112/€3430) making it one of the cheapest electric cars on the planet. Wuling, who are backed by General Motors, don’t just offer an affordable electric car but a practical one.
The Mini EV can seat four and features either a 9 kWh or 13 kWh battery pack with a range of up to 106 miles (170km). For most, especially those who use their car around town this is more than adequate for short journeys whether it’s commuting, the school run or shopping.
I know the Mini EV doesn’t compete with the ID. 2all on range, performance, size or style but it is cheap. As a consequence, this has been a game-changer in China. Wuling Motors have set new record for sales with this model.
Up until January 2023, cumulative sales of the Mini EV are over 1.1 million units. It has been China’s new energy car champion for 28 consecutive months and a global new energy single-model sales champion an impressive seven times.
During its record-selling period, the Mini EV outsold many big names, including Tesla, which is the world’s largest electric car maker. Yes, it outsold the mighty Tesla. The Mini EV has proved so popular the brand has launched other models, 23 in total, including a convertible and a recently launched commemorative model.
I think when cars as cheap as this find their way west to the UK and Europe they will be the real game-changers and help to drive the holy grail mass adoption we all talk about.
Do I see myself driving a Mini EV? Probably not but I do see why it could appeal to so many people who want a truly affordable electric car. I am going to be like Goldilocks here and say that the ideal electric car for the masses probably lies somewhere between the Mini EV and the ID. 2all.
I am excited to see ID. 2all when it hits the road in 2025 and have no doubt it will have a huge number of fans. I’m just not sure it’s the game-changer that people have been raving about on the socials.