Volkswagen has vowed to realise its long-held goal of an ‘affordable’ £17,000 electric car in 2027 with the arrival of the production version of the new ID Every1 concept car.
Described by Volkswagen as a model “from Europe for Europe”, the new car will serve as the spiritual successor to the Up as an A-segment city car and become the entry point to the German firm’s range of bespoke electric ID models. Volkswagen boss Thomas Schäfer has described the model, which will be part of the firm’s new Electric Urban Car Family, as “the last piece of the puzzle” in its mass market line-up.
The production version of the ID Every1 will sit on a modified version of the new front-wheel-drive MEB Entry platform, which has been developed for the forthcoming ID 2, ID 2X, Cupra Raval and Skoda Epiq. Those models will all be built at the Seat factory in Martorell, Spain, with prices for the ID 2 starting from around £21,000 (€25,000).
The ID Every1 features what is described as a newly developed electric motor that produces 94bhp and gives the car a claimed top speed of 81mph. Volkswagen has provided no details of the battery capacity or what chemistry it will use but claims the model will offer a range of “at least” 155 miles.
For comparison with the cheapest EVs currently on sale in the UK, the Dacia Spring is priced from £14,995 and offers 44bhp and a range of 140 miles, while the £15,940 Leapmotor T03 produces 94bhp and offers 165 miles. Meanwhile, Volkswagen has previously said the ID 2 will offer 223bhp and around 280 miles.
Design and styling
The ID Every1 concept is likely to serve as a close preview of how the production car will look. It has chunky, upright proportions that evoke the Up. Volkswagen design chief Andreas Mindt said the goal was to create a car that offered “character and an identity that people can relate to”.
There are large LED headlights and a rounded front end that, Mindt said, is intended to make the car friendly and likeable through “a slightly cheeky smile”. The front and rear badges are illuminated.
The concept features sculpted wheel arches and 19in wheels while, as is typical for an EV, the axles have been pushed to the vehicle’s extremities to maximise interior space. The relatively simple silhouette and side bodywork is intended to give the car a “timeless” and “classless” design, according to Mindt.
As with the ID 2all, the ID Every1’s design features a number of nods to VW’s heritage. In particular, the rear C-pillar has been designed to evoke that of the first-generation Golf.
