Volkswagen confirms entry-level EV for Europe by 2027

Volkswagen’s entry-level EV will see a global debut sometime in 2027 and will go on sale in Europe first. Talks with Renault for jointly producing an entry-level EV seem to have collapsed and Volkswagen is now planning to go solo for the model in Europe.

As reported previously by our sister publication Autocar UK, the model – known as the ID1 – will channel the spirit of the now-axed Volkswagen Up and could even take its name when it arrives, rivaling the Citroen eC3 that is also sold in India.

1. VW ID1 to be built in Spain alongside three more affordable EVs
2. ID1 EV to replace the now-discontinued UP hatchback in VW's global lineup 
3. Will be distinct from the VW mass market for India 

The entry-level VW EV will be one of four affordable electric cars built in Spain by the Volkswagen Group, alongside the Skoda Epiq SUV and two additional small electric cars – one from the Volkswagen brand and the other from Cupra.

The brand also shared that the move to build smaller electric cars is increasingly difficult, due to rising costs and a lack of physical resources. This echoes comments made earlier this year by Toyota, which said the chances of an electric entry-level hatchback were slim due to the cost of batteries.

Volkswagen confirmed plans for a new entry-level EV last year when it revealed the slightly larger ID2all concept and it is now working to bring the ID1 to production within the next three years as a replacement for the Up, which recently went out of production after 12 years. The Volkswagen Up was also evaluated for India a long time go but never went on sale in our market. The VW entry-level EV will be an obvious successor to the successful city car in its conception and will share some design elements and attributes.

Taking into account Volkswagen’s new 36-month vehicle development timeframe, the ID1 could break cover before 2027. Set to be based on a bespoke platform, distinct from the ID2’s MEB entry architecture, it will be developed with a rigid focus on keeping costs down, which means it won't play host to the same levels of advanced autonomy and connectivity functions shared by other, more expensive Volkswagen models.

Neither will the final car be equipped with 200kW fast-charging capacity or a battery that allows it to travel long distances because it's envisioned as a pure city car.

While the ID1 city EV will be primarily aimed at Europe, Volkswagen is also working on a mass market EV for India. Read more on that here.