Volkswagen plans to launch eight affordable electric vehicles by 2027, brand boss Thomas Schaefer said in a recent interview with German publication Auto Motor und Sport (via Reuters).
"We have to produce our vehicles profitably and put them on the road at affordable prices," Schaefer said in the interview.
One of those affordable models will be the ID.2, which the same report said was being expedited. Development is reportedly being compressed to 36 months compared to the previously-discussed 50-month timeline. That's likely necessary to get the electric hatchback ready for its planned 2025 unveiling.
Volkswagen ID.2all concept
VW previewed the ID.2 in 2023 with the Golf-like ID.2all concept, saying that the production version would be engineered for low production costs and a low sticker price—around $26,500. To help achieve that, the ID.2 will use a modified version of the MEB platform from current VW-brand EVs like the ID.4, called MEB Entry.
The automaker has also discussed an even cheaper EV starting at around $22,000. This could be based on the ID.Life concept VW unveiled in 2021, which the automaker said would be based on a pared-down version of the MEB platform called MEB Small.
Volkswagen ID.Life concept
It's unclear if the ID.2 and its cheaper sibling will reach the U.S., but VW has said it's planning an under-$35,000 EV for this market. Based on the timing discussed by VW when this model was first mentioned last November—three to four years—it's likely to arrive in 2027 and thus could be one of the eight models referenced by Schaefer.
Looking beyond the namesake VW brand, the Volkswagen Group aims to have 25 all-electric models for the U.S. market by 2030—all of which will qualify for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit.
