Rahul Somvanshi
Volkswagen just showed us what could be the people’s electric car of tomorrow. At its Wolfsburg factory in Germany, the company unveiled plans for an electric car that will cost €20,000 – making it one of their most affordable electric vehicles yet.
“We’re building an affordable, high-quality electric Volkswagen from Europe for Europe,” says Thomas Schäfer, who leads Volkswagen’s passenger car division. This new car will arrive in 2027, following another affordable model called the ID.2all coming in 2026 at €25,000.
The timing is significant because electric vehicles typically cost more than traditional cars. Volkswagen’s new car aims to change that by offering an electric option at a lower price point. This matters because it could help more families switch to electric without spending as much as they would on current electric models.
The numbers show why this is important. Volkswagen has already sold 1.35 million electric cars since 2019, with 500,000 being their ID.3 model. Last year alone, 383,100 people bought a Volkswagen electric car. But these were mostly higher-priced models – the new €20,000 car could open doors for many more buyers.
To make this happen, Volkswagen is completely changing how it builds cars at its main factory in Wolfsburg. They’re moving their regular Golf production to Mexico to make room for building electric cars. This major change in production will help them create their new affordable electric vehicles efficiently.
Similar Posts
The car will use what engineers call the MEB platform – the standard technical foundation that Volkswagen uses for all its electric cars. By using this shared platform across different models, they can build various types of electric vehicles while managing production costs effectively.
Daniela Cavallo, who represents Volkswagen’s workers, says this change is crucial for everyone at the factory: “Wolfsburg, the heart of the Group world, will face crucial tasks that we will need to tackle with determination.” The factory will build both this new affordable car and an electric version of their popular Golf, aiming to make more than 500,000 cars per year.
Volkswagen has a three-step plan they call “Catch up, Attack, Lead.” First, they’re catching up to other electric car makers. Then, they’ll “attack” the market with nine new electric cars by 2027, including this €20,000 model. Finally, they want to lead the market by 2030.
While we’ll see the concept car in March 2025, the real thing won’t hit European roads until 2027. Currently, it’s only planned for Europe, where electric car adoption continues to grow.
This move isn’t just about selling cars – it’s about making electric vehicles more accessible to more people. By offering an electric car at this price point, Volkswagen aims to make electric vehicles a more practical choice for many buyers.
The company is betting that by making electric cars more affordable, they can help more people make the switch from gasoline to electric power. Success will depend on delivering on their promise: a car that’s both affordable and practical for everyday use.
