Volkswagen’s ID. 2ALL Concept Is a $26,000 EV Hatchback You’d Acutally Want to Drive
Could VW finally deliver the world a desirable and affordable electric hatchback?
EVs have gone mainstream over the last decade or so, with technology slowly trickling down from advanced luxury cars to more accessible models. Truly affordable EVs are the next major battleground and Volkswagen's ID. 2all Concept is a preview of that future.
VW perhaps sums it up best with a single line, calling it "as spacious as a Golf, as inexpensive as a Polo." The compact hatch is targeting a charmingly low price of just €25,000, or approximately $26,500 USD. The concept boasts a 223 horsepower electric motor driving the front wheels, and VW estimates a range of roughly 280 miles on the generous WLTP cycle. That's plenty for a small hatch, though base models at the €25,000 price point will likely post lower figures.
As a concept, the ID. 2all isn't available for sale, but the company plans for a production version to be on sale in Europe by 2025. There's no word as to whether it's coming to the US, but with VW already dropping similar ICE models like the Golf, it's perhaps unlikely.
The production version of the ID. 2all will be based on the new MEB Entry platform. It's the latest evolution of VW's MEB platform, as seen in vehicles like the ID.3 and ID.4. The ID. 2all is VW's first front-wheel-drive vehicle built on MEB underpinnings.
The hatchback leverages the benefits of a compact electric drivetrain. It provides for prodigious interior room in a smaller package compared to an ICE-powered vehicle. While the ID. 2all is around ten inches shorter than the current Golf, it boasts a similar level of interior space for both passengers and cargo. Storage volume in the rear ranges from 17.3 to 50 cubic feet, depending on how the seats are folded.
Overall, the exterior features a neat and tidy design language that has evolved nicely from that of the Mk 8 Golf. Despite its shorter overall length, the ID. 2all has a wheelbase just an inch smaller than the current Golf. This gives the ID. 2all very small overhangs front and rear, giving it a purposeful, cutting-edge stance. Overall, the proportions are not dissimilar to the Mk 1 Golf, with the C pillar of that breakout model a particular inspiration here. Meanwhile, the wraparound lighting design and the smoothed-out front grille do a lot to remind the eye that this is a futuristic electric vehicle.
The interior is in line with modern design trends. There's a screen serving as a gauge cluster, with a larger infotainment screen taking center stage. In a nod to fans of physical controls, VW notes that the concept features a real physical volume control. There's also a separate block of real buttons for the climate control, too. Plus, in a particularly nice touch, the accelerator and brake pedals feature a play and pause icon, respectively.
The ID. 2all concept reaffirms VW's commitment to electrification. The company has big plans in this area, with ten new models electric models slated to hit the market by 2026. Ideally, the production version of the ID. 2all will look this good and will hit the market at that excitingly low price point. If it does, it may just be the vanguard of VW's "electric offensive" to come.
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