- VW will preview its entry-level EV due in 2027 with a concept to be unveiled in March
- The entry-level EV will have a targeted starting price of around 20,000 euros
- VW is developing a lower-cost version of its MEB platform for a range of upcoming affordable EVs
Volkswagen is working on an entry-level electric vehicle due in 2027, with a targeted starting price of around 20,000 euros (approximately $20,800), and an upcoming concept will preview the design.
EVs are still out of reach for most buyers due to their high price compared to comparable gas and diesel models, but automakers are attempting to bridge the gap with new affordable options.
VW will launch an ID.2 (the Polo name is another possibility) subcompact hatch in 2026 with a targeted price of 25,000 euros ($26,000) and previewed the design in 2023 with the ID.2all concept.
A crossover version will follow shortly after, and there will be sister models of both vehicles from other Volkswagen Group brands.
Volkswagen ID.2all concept
The next stage for VW is an even smaller model that may be called the ID.1 and is thought to be a small hatch similar to the discontinued e-up! electric minicar. On Wednesday, VW released a teaser photo of a concept previewing the entry-level EV and confirmed the concept will debut in early March.
The new affordable EVs will be based on a lower-cost version of the current MEB dedicated EV platform, found in vehicles like the ID.4 and ID.Buzz. The lower-cost version, dubbed MEB Entry, has been designed to be shorter than the regular MEB platform and features a single motor at the front.
On Wednesday, VW also confirmed that its main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, will soon start preparations to build vehicles on a next-generation dedicated EV platform known as the SSP. The first SSP-based EVs to be built at the Wolfsburg plant will be the next-generation Mk9 Golf and a related T-Roc crossover.
The timing for the arrival of the first model on the SSP platform wasn’t mentioned. The SSP platform was originally due to spawn its first model in 2026, though that is now expected to happen in 2028 or later. The platform is still expected to be used by most of the future EVs launched across the VW Group, along with common battery cells and common software.