Volkswagen is making a major commitment to sales of new electric cars starting in 2020. The company hopes to sell as many as 1 million of these vehicles starting in 2025.
In an initial salvo toward that goal, the German automaker has started pre-sales of its brand new ID.3 electric car. Started in May, the pre-sale sold 15,000 units. By the beginning of June sales had exceeded 20,000. The pre-sale requires a registration deposit of €1000 ($1,660 USD). The MSRP will be €30,000 ($49,800 USD).
Volkswagen claims that the pace of reservations of the special edition ID.3 1ST has surpassed its expectations. For now, reservations are being received from 29 European markets including Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, and Austria. These are the countries in which VW expects the vehicle will be popular. However, at least for now, the US will not be getting the car. Executives at Volkswagen of America don’t believe a compact hatchback will be in demand in the States.
Buyers of the ID.3 1st will get up to 2,000 kWh of charging on the We Charge and IONITY charging networks during the first year of ownership.
Introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2019, manufacturing of the vehicle will begin at the company’s plant in Zwickau, Germany at the end of this year. The first vehicles are expected in dealerships by the middle of 2020. VW claims that it will be producing more than 100,000 units per year.
In addition, Volkswagen notes that dealers have seen the car and have placed volume orders that have exceeded its expectations.
The ID.3 1st will be the midrange of the series of three models to be introduced. The travel range delineates the models. For example, the ID 3 1st is positioned as the middle of the three models. It will be powered by a medium-sized 58 kWh battery and have a WLTP driving range of 261 miles (420 kilometers). The next to be introduced after the 1st will be the ID3. Plus, which is the entry level model featuring a smaller 45 kWh battery with a range of 205 miles (330 kilometers). The ID3 Max will be the top of the line with a 77 kWh battery that will have a range of 342 miles (550 kilometers).
The ID.3 Plus is expected to include more lighting than the ID.3 1st and will also feature a bi-color exterior and interior. The ID.3 1st Max will feature a panoramic glass roof and a head-up display.
The car will include over-the-air software updates.
Only 30,000 units of the ID.3 1st will be made.
Although the ID.3 is not the first electric car to be offered by VW, it could be considered as the most important. That’s because the ID 3 will be the first to use the new MEB platform, the underpinning for all electric cars that will be offered by VW Group brands.
Volkswagen hopes to be offering more than 20 pure electric car models by 2025, achieving a goal of making the automaker the number one brand for electric cars in the world. All of Volkswagen’s electric cars will carry the ID name into the future.
Other pure electric cars coming from Volkswagen after the introduction of the ID.3 will be the ID. Crozz crossover, the ID. Vizzion sedan, and the ID. Roomz SUV. Each model will be given a number to indicate where it is positioned in relationship to the ID.3, either above or below.
