The VW group is working on the design of a small electric city car below 20,000 euros, and plans to entrust its development to Volkswagen rather than Seat. An ID.1 at less than 20,000 euros?
VW is certainly one of the most ambitious manufacturers in the electric vehicle market. Like its competitors, the German group is striving to diversify its offer by offering models in all segments. The interest of motorists around electric motors is no longer to be demonstrated, and the constant increase in their market share shows that a lot of buyers are now preferring green cars. The purchase cost remains a breaking point for many, and paradoxically, car manufacturers focus mainly on the development of sedans, SUVs or sports cars. VW seems determined to take advantage of this situation to attack the mass market with an inexpensive city car.
According to Automotive News, the group is working on this type of electric vehicle, and would have planned to entrust its development to Volkswagen. As on the ID.3 and ID.4 models, the small city car will be designed on the common MEB platform. For the occasion, the engineers plan to revise it in depth by shortening it to a length of less than 4m (13ft), about that of a Polo. The main objective is of course to reduce production costs to offer an electric vehicle under the 20,000 euro mark . A real engineering challenge that affects all elements of the vehicle, from the engine to the configuration of the battery modules while reducing costs by a third compared to the ID.3.
ID.1 at less than 20,000 euros?
Last year, Herbert Diess, CEO of Volskwagen, said that Seat would support the development and marketing of the next electric versions of its small cars, including the VW Up, Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii. The success of the e-up! which sold 20,000 units in Germany during the first quarter of 2020, and the postponement of Seat’s entry into the Chinese market will no doubt have convinced VW to change its strategy. The group now plans to entrust the design of the small electric city car to Volkswagen, which is already working on ID.1.
