- The Volkswagen ID.Every1 previews a sub-$22,000 EV from the automaker.
- Expect the production model to bear the name ID.1 when it arrives in 2027.
- Alas, we don’t expect this low-powered small EV to come to the United States.
Volkswagen plans to sell a sub-$22,000 battery-electric vehicle in 2027, and the ID.Every1 concept previews the eventual production model that’s sure to don the ID.1 name. Try not to get your hopes up too high, though, because this inexpensive electric vehicle likely will not find its way to our shores. Besides the fact that the European-built model may find itself subject to tariffs as a result of the U.S.’s current trade policies, the four-door EV lacks the characteristic size and driving range American customers favor.
Volkswagen’s entry-level battery-powered concept embraces its compact dimensions. Though its 152.8-inch overall length makes it nearly a foot longer than the since-discontinued Up it effectively replaces, the ID.Every1 still casts a shadow 6.1 inches shorter than a four-door Mini Cooper.
But the ID.Every1 is not just small; it’s also unable to meet the 200-plus miles of range on a full charge that many Yanks expect from a modern battery-powered car. Volkswagen claims the pint-sized EV’s 94-hp lone drive motor can push the ID.Every1 an estimated 155 miles on a full charge. Put this small VW through the EPA’s regimen, and that figure surely gets lower.
And then there’s the fact that the ID.Every1 tops out at a mere 81 mph. Cruise at 81 mph on some U.S. interstates, and you’re liable to catch lead.
The ID.Every1 may not be the fastest or longest-traveling EV out there, but that’s not the intent of this city vehicle. Rather, it aims to combine efficient packaging and attractive wares in an affordable and eco-friendly package.
Volkswagen claims the MEB platform that underpins the front-drive ID.Every1 affords it a spacious inside, capable of comfortably fitting four people while still offering a reasonable 11 cubic feet of cargo space. That’s down about 2 cubes to the lengthier four-door Mini Cooper, but about 2 cubic feet better than a two-door Mini. Meanwhile, flexible seating arrangements and a trick multi-function center console, as well as the application of new software architecture that allows for over-the-air software updates, afford this little VW great flexibility from both a physical and digital viewpoint.
Despite previewing a low-cost model, the ID.Every1 packs high-end looks. While some of the concept’s details will not transfer to the production car, the basic design itself certainly will. We wager this includes the flared fenders and short overhangs that provide a bulldog-like stance that’s exacerbated by the ID.Every1’s five-spoke 19-inch wheels. By its design alone, the ID.Every1 appears to live by the mantra that it’s better to drive a slow car fast than drive a fast car slow.
Still, we won’t know if the engineers in Wolfsburg tuned this value-oriented EV to offer the joyful driving dynamics implicated by the concept’s design until the production car arrives in 2027.
Despite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg’s career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
