VW’s small car styling study lends insight into a 2027 electric it intends to sell for less than $38k.

FROM the brand whose name literally translates out of German into English as ‘people’s car’ comes a small electric it so believes could be for everyone that’s what it has been called.

The moniker ‘ID.Every1’ that attaches to the concept of a small electric car isn’t going to reach the showroom. What you’re looking at is a styling rendition of what will eventually become the VW ID.1, an all-electric city car.

Slated to launch in Europe in 2027, this car will form part of what VW is calling the ‘Electric Urban Car Family’. It’s all about affordability, within reason.

Electric has yet to become fully price competitive with internal combustion, so VW is aiming for a starting price of €20,000 - which on today’s exchange rate runs to $NZ37,600.

That’s cheap for NZ when full recommended retails are considered, not so much during the past year when countering the significant amount of unsold EV stock due to reduced demand, following the removal of the rebate and the introduction of RUCs, triggered massive discounting.

Before the ID.1 appears, VW will have rolled out another compact EV hatchback, the ID.2, which is currently also in its concept-car phase as the ID. 2all. It’s expect to come on sale in its home market next year with a starting price of around €25,000 ($NZ47k).

Effectively, it’s a battery-dedicated Polo and the ID.1 is a fully electric equivalent of the even smaller Up!, which was trialled here but never came on sale.

Every other model in the Electric Urban Car Family places on a common modular electric drive (MEB) platform with front-wheel drive. The ID.Every1 has a 70kW electric motor and a range of ‘at least’ 250km. The theoretical top speed is 130kmh. No 0-100kmh time has been shared.

At 3880mm long, the concept is considerably shorter than the ID. 2all (4050mm) or the current Polo (4074mm), which is also absent from NZ. It’s also 1490mm tall and 1816mm wide. VW cites that ID.Every1 will take four occupants, plus 305 litres of luggage in the boot.

One element of techno geek interest is that it uses a powerful new software architecture that allows for extensive ‘over-the-air’ updates. VW suggests this means it can be upgraded with new functions throughout its life cycle.

In respect to the styling, the car has a solidly similar look to the ID. 2all, which in turn lends loyalty, notably with the emblematic C-pillar and window lines, to a well-regarded heritage car, the first Golf.