Thomas Schaefer, the new CEO of Volkswagen who took over for Ralf Brandstätter as the firm’s top executive in April, informed reporters the company plans to introduce 10 new electric-powered ID models by the end of 2026.
Schaefer named four upcoming models out of the 10 BEVs the carmaker plans to release over the next four years: an ID.2 hatchback and ID.2X SUV, which will act as entry points into VW’s EV line-up, as well as an ID.3X SUV and ID.6 sedan. The plans were reported by Wards Auto.
What’s confirmed for production
The ID.2 models will be built by Volkswagen Auto Group’s SEAT division at the company’s plant in Martorell, Spain near Barcelona. These models are about the size of VW’s Polo and T-Cross models, both of which are sold in Europe and unlikely to reach the U.S.
They will replace VW’s Up subcompact line and use a version of VW’s MEB electric-vehicle architecture designed for entry-level vehicles. As such, it uses a smaller battery, which minimizes costs, and is being co-developed with VW’s Czech-based Skoda brand. The company expects the ID.2 models to start at less than €25,000, or $24,655.
The ID.3X is also being developed and, as the name suggests, it will slot below the ID.4 in the VW line-up and will most likely use the existing MEB EV platform. Going forward, ID SUV models will be designated by an X in their naming nomenclature.
A new sedan in the States?
For U.S. buyers, the biggest news will be the debut of the ID.6 sedan, which is slated to debut in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Taking its look from the ID.Aero sedan concept, the sedan is expected to be the ID line’s flagship, although the ID. Buzz will also serve that function.
The all-electric replacement for the Passat, which is ending production in the U.S. market, is expected to each Chinese showrooms in the second half of 2023. The new model places its batteries and motors below the load floor, as in all new EVs. By freeing space traditionally occupied by an internal combustion engine, the new model should have an exceptionally roomy cabin.
While the new models use the company’s MEB architecture, it is slated to be replaced by the company’s new Scalable Systems Platform or SPP later in the decade. And what this means for longstanding popular nameplates like the Golf and Polo remains to be seen, as well as how many of these ID models will reach U.S. shores.
Currently, Volkswagen sells only the ID.4 in the U.S., but has added a more affordable model for 2023.
That’s just the start
While some ID models will reach U.S. showrooms, they eventually could be overshadowed as Volkswagen plans to relaunch the Scout brand, which analysts see as necessary in the U.S. if the automaker hopes to capture a large slice of the EV market.
“The ID group of vehicles are just electric Volkswagens, and the problem with breaking into the EV market is you have to bring something more than just electrification,” Sam Fiorani, vice president, Global Vehicle Forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions LLC said to TheDetroitBureau.com in July. “Nobody has the cachet to transform themselves from ICE to EV simply by electrifying their vehicles.”
This is why Volkswagen is reviving the Scout brand for an all-electric truck and SUV for the U.S. with the first deliveries expected to arrive in 2026. The new Scouts will be designed, engineered and built in the U.S. for American consumers.
The Scout name was first used by International Harvester for its 1961 International Scout SUV, and it competed with the Jeep CJ and Ford Bronco. The model survived until 1980. International Harvester became Navistar after filing for bankruptcy in 1985. VW acquired Navistar in 2020.