Here’s More on the VW Concept Hinting at a New, “Affordable” EV

Volkswagen released a pair of sketches showing off a new concept dubbed the ID.EVERY.1. They reveal the direction the German automaker plans to take when it launches a new, entry-level battery-electric vehicle in 2027. But what else have we learned about the show car and ID.1 production model to follow? Headlight.News has more.

Like most automotive manufacturers, Volkswagen is struggling to keep up with a fast-shifting market and that’s particularly difficult in the EV sector. One thing seems clear, however, to expand into the mainstream, automakers like VW will have to start rolling out more affordable options.

And that’s what these sketches from Volkswagen signal. Dubbed the ID.EVERY.1 it shows what’s coming during a formal reveal scheduled for March 5. A production version will reach market sometime in 2021 under the ID.1 badge, and is designed to come in around 20,000 euros in Europe, or just under $21,000 at current exchange rates. Here’s what else we’ve learned.

But will it come to the U.S.? Will it remain affordable? Here’s what we’ve learned over the last week.

What’s new?

Released on social media the two sketches of the ID.EVERY.1 show a concept that “blends functionality and style effortlessly,” wrote Volkswagen brand boss Thomas Schaefer.

The micro-CUV will reappear in production form as the ID.1. That means it will slot in as an even lower-cost offering than the ID.2 model Volkswagen is planning to launch in 2026, and will be one of nine new model launches the automaker has scheduled over the next two years.

Coming in around 20,000 euros, the ID.1 will help Volkswagen in its struggles to keep up with the flood of new offerings Chinese brands have been flooding markets like Europe and Latin America with. It’s not confirmed whether the ID.1 also will come to the U.S. but there it would run up against base-level products coming from Korean brands like Hyundai and Kia.

Design

The two sketches of the ID.EVERY.1 concept might bring to mind the latest EV offerings from Mini – and the show car and production ID.1 won’t be much different in size.

In a statement, VW brand design chief Andreas Mindt said of the concept, “Bold confidence meets timeless simplicity! With its compact yet spacious design, our new entry-level electric car blends functionality and style effortlessly. From the charismatic front to the smiling rear end, every detail creates a joyful connection.”

ID.EVERY.1, and ID.1 will use the smallest version yet of the VW MEB platform shared with the ID.4, 7 and Buzz models. But it will be offered exclusively with a single electric motor, Headlight.News was advised. There may be some performance upgrades on higher trims, in keeping with VW’s traditional approach.

Considering the minute size of the concept, it’s likely only to have space for a compact battery pack. If the Mini Cooper SE is any indication, range is likely to come in at just over 200 miles – at the most. And it would surprise no one if base versions offered even more limited range by opting for a lower-priced LFP pack.

More VW News

• First Drive: U.S. 3-Row Version of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz
• 2025 VW Taos is More than Just the Usual Midcycle Update
• New Kia PV5 Takes Aim at the VW ID.Buzz

A U.S. option?

With the launch of the ID.Buzz, Volkwagen now offers two all-electric models in the United States, though demand has tapered off for its original ID.4 line and it is struggling to find a formula that will give it new momentum.

It recently scrubbed plans to bring the ID.7 line to the U.S., after spending over a year struggling to make a decision about the sedan’s role. Officials ultimately determined it wasn’t the sort of body style that would play well in the SUV-centric American market. But pricing was also an issue as the ID.7 would have likely come in at or above the price of the typical all-electric model now sold in the States, around $55,000.

Competitors have increasingly shifted focus to entry-level options, both in the U.S. and other EV markets. The Chinese, in particular, have gained momentum with products which, like the BYD Seagull, start as low as $10,000. General Motors pushed down-market with the new Chevrolet Equinox EV and will aim even lower with the upcoming revival of the Chevy Bolt badge. Kia is readying the little EV2 and EV3 models, Hyundai set to weigh in with similar models.

Could ID.1 come to the States? It appears the automaker is waffling on that, as well, worrying it may be too small, underpowered and limited in range. Another challenge is that production currently appears to be scheduled to occur in Germany, likely the same Wolfsburg assembly plant as ID.2. That would run it afoul of the automotive tariffs Pres. Donald Trump has now promised to unveil in the coming weeks.

An option could be to squeeze out some ID.1 models from the Mexican plant now producing the ID.Buzz microbus. But the tariffs may impact products from that neighboring trade partner, as well. Adding even a few thousand dollars to the price tag, the concerns go, would simply ruin any opportunity to pitch ID.1 as the affordable EV that Americans are looking for.