Volkswagen has revealed an electric concept car to preview a new production model – due in 2025.
Bold claims are being made about the compact ID. 2all, which will slot into Volkswagen’s EV range below the existing ID. 3 hatchback.
Grabbing most attention is the promise of a starting price from under €25,000 (£22,000), along with a range of up to 450km (280 miles).
Power to the people
Beneath the concept car bodywork is Volkswagen’s first use of a front-wheel-drive layout for an electric ID. model.
Known as MEB Entry, the new platform mounts the electric motor at the front, where the engine would be in a conventional supermini. Short front and rear overhangs, plus a long wheelbase, result in a spacious interior for a car the same size as a VW Polo.
The ID. 2all concept has a 226hp electric motor, and is said to be capable of 0-62mph in less than seven seconds.
Rapid charging means the battery can be replenished from 10 to 80 percent in 20 minutes, although there is no word on the size of the concept car’s battery.
A tribute to Volkswagens of old
Along with previewing the use of front-wheel drive for an EV, the ID. 2all also reveals a new design language for Volkswagen cars. The concept was created by Andreas Mindt, who took over as head of Volkswagen Design last month.
Mindt was responsible for the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf, which may explain why the ID. 2all looks familiar. He says the new design is about “transferring the DNA of our icons into the future. The ID. 2all is therefore also an homage to the Beetle, Golf and Polo.”
The C-Pillar shape, for example, is inspired by that on the original Mk1 Volkswagen Golf.
The styling of the ID. 2all is shaped by the “three pillars of stability, likeability and excitement,” says Mindt. These ideas will underpin the aesthetic of future Volkswagen models, too.
An illuminating interior
Volkswagen appears to have heeded the numerous gripes about its current infotainment system, as the ID. 2all boasts an all-new 12.9-inch multimedia touchscreen. This features an updated menu structure and, most importantly, has separate illuminated controls for the air conditioning.
The steering wheel controls have been simplified to just two thumbwheels, with not a haptic touch-sensitive button in sight…
Smartphone charging is a key part of the ID. 2all’s interior, with two wireless charging pads found on the centre console. Both these, and the chargers found in the seat backrests, use magnets to hold devices in place.
Boot space is an impressive 440 litres, with a storage box beneath the rear bench offering another 50 litres. Dropping the back seats results in a total of 1,339 litres of luggage capacity.
Ten new EVs by 2026
The production version of the ID. 2all should arrive in showrooms in 2025, and is a key part of Volkswagen’s plans to increase its electric offering.
The company will launch 10 new electric cars by 2026, as it looks to claim an 80 percent share of the EV market. Doing so would give VW the widest range of electric vehicles on the market.
Beneath the ID. 2all, Volkswagen also aims to create a smaller electric car with a start price of just €20,000 (£17,500).
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