Production version will be available in 2025.
The e-up! This is Volkswagen’s timid attempt to offer an entry level electric car. You’ll need to wait until the middle decade to get a bespoke EV from Wolfsburg. The ID. The Life concept, which was presented today at IAA Munich, will not be produced until 2025. It will replace the ID.3 compact hatchback.
The concept car is front-wheel-drive and uses a modified MEB platform that was specifically designed for city cars. The e-motor is powerful, delivering 231 horsepower (172 kW) as well as 290 Nm (217 lb-ft), to the front wheels. This allows for a 0-60 mph (100 km/h), run of 6.9 seconds and an average speed of 112 mph (182 km/h).
The ID. The ID. The battery supports DC fast charging, which allows for 101 miles (163 km) of range in 10 minutes. It will be interesting to see if VW improves these numbers before the car hits the roads in four years.
VW designed the ID because almost everything these days must be an SUV. The ID is a “city car with crossover characteristics”. It has a generous ground clearance (190mm) and 26deg and 37deg departure and approach angles. It was built on a bespoke EV platform and is remarkably spacious and practical despite being only 4091 mm (161.6in) long, 1845 mm (72.6in) wide and 1599 mm (63.6 in) high.
The ID is significantly shorter than the Golf Mk8. Life’s wheelbase is 2650mm (104.3 inches), which is slightly more than the VW’s most popular car. The electric concept car has excellent rear legroom and cargo space thanks to the generous distance between its axles. It can hold up to 1,285 Liters (45.3 cubic feet) of cargo after folding the passenger and rear seats.
Only the rear storage compartment can hold 225 liters of cargo and an additional 108 liters below the load floor. The engineers at VW have also designed a 68-liter storage space in the front to hold the charging cable. This area has a volume of 8 liters. The door pocket doubles as an inductive charging pad and storage.
The ID. The ID. VW has installed a retractable projection screen, which is complemented by a console for gaming. We are not certain that this will be available on the 2025 production model.
The VW ID was displayed at the IAA Munich. The VW ID is a small EV that you can buy starting at EUR20,000 in 2025, two years earlier than originally planned. The fully loaded version will cost EUR25,000. The cheapest ID.3 in Germany is available for EUR35,460.