For quite some time now, the automotive community has been waiting for giants Volkswagen (VW) to create a mass-market electric car after the failure of the 2021 ID Life concept.
During this time, the competitors, mainly in the form of Tesla, Toyota, Peugeot and Opel, made a lot of efforts to reduce their production costs or to offer affordable alternatives such as the e-208 or Corsa-e.
Against this background, the cheapest electric model of VW is the ID.3, whose price in Bulgaria starts at BGN 90,000. Too far from the concept of “people’s car”, if we judge by the classic name of the German manufacturer.
This is where the role of the new ID.2all concept comes into play. The very name of the model speaks for itself that it is intended “for everyone”. Or so VW claimed during the official unveiling of the ID.2all at an investor event similar to Tesla’s two weeks ago.
It was expected that Elon Musk would present a new model of electric car, but instead the emphasis was placed on combating climate change and optimizing the production of current products. As a result, Tesla shares fell after the event as investors expected something different.
Soon after, VW responded with its own take on what an affordable electric car might look like.
The ID.2all is built on the MEB Entry modular platform, which was introduced back in 2019 with the ambitious goal of creating an electric car for less than €20,000. In this case, the new model from the ID family has an estimated price of around 25,000 euros, so there is clearly more to work on.
The MEB Entry itself derives from the MEB, which in turn spawned the ID.3 and several other electric cars from Skoda and Audi, but is designed to support smaller and cheaper models.
As such, the ID.2all is Volkswagen’s first electric car with front-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel drive or 4×4. Estimated charging speed from 10 to 80% is 20 minutes, which is comparable to that of the Peugeot e-208 and Opel e-Corsa. The range of the electric battery is also similar and is calculated at about 460 kilometers of maximum transition.
Although the ID.2all won’t go into production for another two years and will still undergo some changes, VW has taken the unusual step of confirming some of the key specs.
There will be two battery options – 38kW and 56kW, and maximum power will reach 223 horsepower. According to the company, this is more than enough for acceleration from – to 100 km/h in about 7 seconds.
In terms of design, the ID.2all is reminiscent of the Golf in its appearance, although the German manufacturer claims that the current concept represents a completely new design language that will be used in subsequent generations.
Visibly, it has not spared the luggage space, the volume of which is between 460 and 1330 liters depending on the distribution of the seats.
The emphasis on minimalism can clearly be seen in the cabin. Two electronic displays are used – a 10.9-inch screen for the control panel and a 12.9-inch infotainment system. There are also several physical switches for the cabin temperature, as well as a rotating control sensor below the central display.
It’s a major departure from the all-touch screen multifunction panel we find in current ID models, and it’s also an answer to the many criticisms of a lack of physical controls.
The rest of the interior includes the integration of “numerous high-value technologies from the larger ID models.” This means massaging seats, a panoramic sunroof and a 230V power outlet, along with the Travel Assist and IQ.Light functions.
ID.2all is expected to start production in 2025.
Until then, it is very likely that another budget model will be presented, the price of which will be below 20,000 euros. It is assumed that its name will be ID.1 and it will be similar to the Polo.
