Volkswagen has teased plans for a “China-killer” electric vehicle (EV) that will cost just €20,000.
The giant German automaker is gearing up to take on a flood of Beijing-backed low-cost rivals. And, at a price pitched at £16,700 / $20,650, it looks set to be highly competitive, as VW shared its first images of the new vehicle that is expected to be a hatchback called the ID.1.
The low-cost EV, which goes into production from 2027, is intended to go head to head with all-electric brands from Chinese carmakers such as BYD, which overtook Tesla in British sales for the first time last month as public opinion sours towards Elon Musk and his antics on the other side of the pond.
Thomas Schäfer, the VW chief executive, said the new model would be “an affordable, high-quality, profitable electric Volkswagen from Europe, for Europe”.
Quentin Willson, the motoring journalist, said the car could be a “possible China EV killer”. Dan Caesar, of Electric Vehicles UK, added: “Cheaper EVs are exactly what legacy auto-makers need to be competitive during this critical time. We would expect the ID.1 to be warmly welcomed by motorists.”
To date, all the major car brands (on both sides of the Atlantic) seem to have been peddling EVs that only the rich can afford. Take up was swift for a while but, once everyone with deep pockets had purchased their electric vehicle of choice, sales came to a grinding halt. Very few (except the Chinese) had thought ahead for that moment.
But not Renault’s value brand Dacia. The Dacia Spring starts at just £14,995 ($19,100) after tax and is currently Europe’s cheapest EV. It's scarcely a lightning bolt as it has a top speed of 78mph (and a range of 190 miles in town), but the price will surely tempt lots of buyers.
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