Volkswagen was among the first established automakers to embrace the electrification of its range. It launched the highly successful ID.3 and ID.4 fully electric models, along with the ID.5 and ID Buzz in 2022. While they were all competent, none were good enough to really disrupt the EV segment.
In March 2023, VW pulled the wraps off a concept called ID .2all, with the expectation this will enter production in 2025 with the model name ID.2. It'll be a smaller vehicle than the ID.3, but if the preliminary specs stay for production, the ID.2 could become the brand’s first real electric car success story. Here are the reasons why.
1. Excellent Range and Performance
Even though the ID.2 will be built on the more affordable version of the MEB platform that VW uses to underpin all its current EVs, it will surpass the ID.3 when it comes to both range and performance. Being based on the MEB Entry architecture, it won’t be rear-wheel drive, so it may not rank as a fun-to-drive EV for enthusiasts. However, this is one of the ways in which VW hopes to keep the model’s cost down.
VW says it will provide up to 450 kilometers (279 miles) of range from its battery pack, though the capacity is not yet known. That’s more than any ID.3 variant. The same goes for the vehicle’s power output, which VW says is 166 kW (226 horsepower), or around 10% more than the ID.3.
2. Much-Improved Charging Speed
VW’s ID electric vehicles aren't among the best when it comes to charging speed, but with the ID.2, the manufacturer says it has made considerable improvements. It doesn’t state the ID.2’s exact charging speed, but it does say it will be able to replenish its battery from 10 to 80 percent in around 20 minutes. That will make it as good as some of the quickest-charging EVs on the market, like the Kia EV6, Porsche Taycan, or Lucid Air.
We don’t know what size battery pack VW plans to put in the ID.2, though it appears that it may not take up the entire underside of the vehicle like it does in the company’s other ID offerings.
3. Space, Practicality, and Physical Buttons
With so many people complaining about the touch controls in VW’s ID vehicles, the manufacturer announced last year that it was going to bring back some physical buttons. It looks like the ID.2 will take full advantage of this positive trend, as it will feature actual buttons on the steering wheel as well as additional physical controls on the center console for various functions, including climate.
In moving the electric motor from under the trunk floor into the front of the vehicle, VW has freed up a lot of space in the rear. That’s why, even though the ID.2 is the size of a Polo, it provides a lot more cargo volume: 490 liters, or 1,330 liters if you fold down the rear seats.
VW says that within the same footprint as a Polo, this vehicle will offer as much interior room for passengers as a Golf. It therefore won’t be quite as big inside as the ID.3, but it sounds like it will take advantage of smarter use of space.
4. Conventional Design
The concept design was reportedly whipped up in just eight weeks after VW appointed a new design boss who disliked 2021's ID Life concept. With the ID.2, VW’s designers managed to create a typical-looking vehicle for the brand, one that is much closer in style to its internal combustion engine cars than other ID models.
This is, of course, not an accident, since the automaker wants this model to appeal to as wide an audience as possible—there’s nothing special about its design, but it's also unlikely to deter potential buyers.
5. Affordable Price
Probably the best part about the ID.2 is its price, assuming VW sticks to its promise. All of the above specs and details are impressive, but when you take into consideration the model’s planned price, which will be around €25,000 (approx. $26,600), it’s quite remarkable.
VW is branding the ID.2 as "spacious like a Golf, affordable like a Polo," so it's offering the best of both worlds.
The ID.2 Is a Potential Disruptor Among Entry-Level EVs
VW intends to put the ID.2 into production in 2025 as one of the ten new EVs that it plans to bring to market by 2026. If it keeps—or even improves—all the aforementioned specs for the production vehicle, it could become a huge success story for the automaker.
There will also be a cheaper ID.1 built on the same MEB Entry platform, along with a crossover version of the ID.2 for those who want a taller riding vehicle.