We already know that 2025 will be a quiet year for Volkswagen when it comes to new electric vehicles. However, that's not stopping the company from working on what's next, including a promise it made some time ago to market an affordable EV, priced in the €20,000 to €25,000 range.
For the time being, we're talking about a product that will be reserved for Europe, but it's okay to dream, especially since to gain a bigger foothold in North America, VW (and other automakers) will eventually have to introduce more affordable electric models. There are obstacles, however, as you will soon see.
The new EV just teased is due to arrive in 2027, with a price tag of around 20,000 euros, or just under $30,000 CAD. VW plans to present a concept giving a taste of the vehicle’s design this coming March.
The image shared today by Volkswagen provides a first glimpse, however. Because of its format, some believe the model could be called the ID.1, meaning it would be even smaller than the ID.2, a subcompact hatchback due to debut in 2026 on the European market.
Volkswagen's future affordable EVs will be based on a less expensive version of the current MEB platform for battery-powered vehicles that serves the ID.4 and ID.Buzz SUVs. The cheaper structure, called MEB Entry, has been designed to be shorter, and features a single front motor.
Which leads us to a potential roadblock in Canada: the absence of AWD.
There’s also the fact that Volkswagen deemed both the ID.2 and ID.3 too small for North America. An ID.1 is unlikely to change the automaker’s view on that.
On the other hand, it’s a simple fact that carmakers are going to have to offer cheaper EVs in the near-future. Maybe automakers like VW will have a change of view.
Another possibility is that Volkswagen may eventually offer larger SUV models built on the same underpinnings as the new small-vehicle architecture. And if they could offer all-wheel drive...
All of which is highly speculative at this point.