Volkswagen’s Small Car History
Volkswagen, one of the world’s largest car companies, built its business and its reputation on compact, practical, and economical everyman cars with emotional charm. The plucky Beetle found tens of millions of owners worldwide, and the Golf hatchback has been in production for close to 50 years offering similar attributes while evolving with the times.
New Buzz on the Horizon
In the electric age, however, Volkswagen’s offerings have been larger, heavier, and more expensive models such as the ID.4 SUV and the ID. Buzz van; cars with charm and practicality but thanks to their higher prices, neither have sold in huge numbers, as of yet or had the cultural impact of other small VWs. That may all be about to change with the upcoming ID.1, which is previewed by the ID. Every1 concept car VW recently unveiled, a compact family hatchback with a starting price of under $25,000 in Europe.
Small But Spacious EV
Launching in 2026, the ID.1 will form the basis of Volkswagen’s new electric car “urban family.” It is surprisingly familiar in terms of its looks and layout. In profile, its strong stance, upright greenhouse, and thick D-pillar are reminiscent of the Golf GTI. It has a distinctively Volkswagen face, with friendly eyes linked by a dark horizontal “grille.” The lights in the front and rear are animated, and “smile” at you when you walk up to the car, giving it a friendly demeanor.
Despite being shorter than a Mini Cooper, the ID. Every1 has four doors, four seats, and surprising interior space thanks to its long wheelbase and compact drivetrain. A relatively upright seating position makes the most use of the compact exterior dimensions, and there really is enough space for four people and their luggage, so long as their bags are carry-ons.
Volkswagen ID.1 Range and Performance
Like the Golf, the ID. Every1 is front-wheel drive, with the electric motor mounted up front. The car sits on an adaptation of the company’s MEB electric drive platform, which has been shortened, and is designed for lower cost; the front motor allows for a more spacious trunk in this compact runabout.
Designed primarily for use in cities and for short trips into the country, the ID. Every1 (and its ID.1 production version) is purposely not a power or range champion. While most new EVs try to grab headlines with crazy horsepower figures and extensive range, the ID.1 is a modest, inexpensive car. Power output from the single EV motor is just 95 hp, which is more than enough for urban use, particularly because electric motors produce so much torque at low speeds. The battery provides an estimated range of 155 miles, enough for daily commuting in urban centers, but not enough for comfortable long-distance touring.
Of course, being a new electric car, Volkswagen promises the ID.1 will be full of tech. When it goes into production, it will be the first model within VW’s portfolio to use a new, more powerful software architecture co-developed with Rivian. VW promises that new functions and upgraded features can be introduced and launched over-the-air throughout the ID.1’s lifecycle, allowing it to continually adapt to its owners’ needs. Expect a full suite of driver assistance and infotainment features, with endless levels of customization.
Even with all this tech, the ID.1 should represent a move away from clustering every control on a single touchscreen. While a large screen is still present in the center of the dash, it’s supplemented by a row of physical controls on the console, and the steering wheel uses real switches and buttons instead of capacitive touch pads.
Will the ID.1 Be Available in America?
Will we see the ID.1 in North America? For some of us, the combination of its attractive looks and upscale interior would help offset the detriment of its limited range and relatively low power output. For multi-car families, it would be the perfect second car, an urban runabout to supplement a longer-range SUV or sedan. On the other hand, the economics of selling a small, low-priced electric car on our continent might be challenging and getting more challenging as the federal government rolls back support for the expansion of public charging infrastructure and EV incentives.
For now, Volkswagen says the ID.1 is a car designed “in Europe, for Europe” first. Hopefully, over time, we’ll see it (and vehicles like it) on our roads as well. Because in a lot of ways, the ID.1 is the kind of EV a lot of people need, even if it’s not necessarily the one they think they want.
