Volkswagen ID.2all concept previews one of several new budget EVs from VW Group

• EV for around £17,000 coming in 2027
• First affordable models to arrive by 2025
• Design previewed by Volkswagen ID.2all concept

The Volkswagen Group has confirmed that it plans to release a series of new entry-level electric cars in Europe, with prices starting from just €20,000 – a price tag that would translate to around £17,000 in the UK. The competitive pricing strategy is part of a move to encourage the transition to electric vehicles in Europe, with Volkswagen aiming to “set the standard” at the entry-level end of the market.

While the first of the £17,000 electric vehicles isn’t expected to be unveiled until 2027, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer has confirmed that VW Group core brands Volkswagen, Skoda and Cupra are already working on a series of affordable EVs due to hit the market in 2025. The planned lineup consists of a small SUV and a supermini from Volkswagen, as well as a Skoda small SUV and a Cupra supermini. These models will be priced from under €25,000, with UK pricing expected to fall around £21,000.

While performance and design details are still under wraps, Volkswagen provided a teaser of its affordable supermini last year in the form of the ID.2all concept car.

What is the Volkswagen ID.2all concept?

While we’re still some way off walking into a Volkswagen dealership to buy a £17,000 EV, the German brand has teased the design of its upcoming affordable electric car with the ID.2all concept. A small electric SUV sharing the same platform has also been confirmed, with initial images hinting at a VW Polo-sized EV with chunkier styling and a raised ride height.

The production version of the Volkswagen ID.2all will rival the Peugeot E-208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric when it arrives in 2025, and the brand has revealed some of its targeted specifications for the first time. They include a range of around 280 miles and a single front-mounted electric motor with a punchy 223bhp capable of sending the supermini from 0-62mph in around seven seconds.

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It’s touted as being quick away from the charging station as well as the lights, thanks to a 10 to 80% top-up time of around 20 minutes thanks to 125kW charging. The latest Peugeot E-208 takes 25 minutes to go from 20 to 80%, so it appears the small Volkswagen will be ideal for those wanting to take their small EV further afield. It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that such competitive range and charging statistics won’t necessarily apply to the entry circa-£20k version, but a more expensive range-topper instead. Expect battery sizes of 38 and 56kWh, with the former being the value hero, but with a shorter driving range.

The forthcoming model is set to be the first model to sit on the German automaker’s all-new MEB-Entry underpinnings. This is an offshoot of the MEB architecture found in the larger Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5, with a switch to front-wheel drive to make it cheaper to manufacture and to allow for a bigger boot – VW is targeting up to 490 litres behind the seats and 1,330 litres with them folded down. That’s more than the ID.3, and 100 litres extra compared with the current Polo. If you need even more space, a 50-litre lockable compartment can also be found beneath the second row of seats that’s ideal for valuables like laptops.

The ID.2all concept measures 4,050mm in length, 1,812mm wide and 1,530mm tall, with a long 2,600mm wheelbase (the gap between the front and rear axles) to boost interior space. For context, while the car is slightly shorter than a Polo, its wheelbase is five centimetres longer. It’s anticipated that an SUV version of Volkswagen’s EV supermini will follow within a year of the production car’s launch.

2025 Volkswagen ID.2all design

The ID.2all is simpler than the ID.3, and could easily be mistaken for a combustion-engined supermini rather than an EV. A strong crease runs along the car’s flanks, and its rear door handles are ‘hidden’ in the rear pillar for a tidy look.

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Design boss Andreas Mindt has taken inspiration from past models including the Volkswagen Beetle, Golf and Polo rather than trying to break the mould. It’s said to encompass VW’s key values of “stability, likeability and excitement.” The concept sits on large 20-inch alloy wheels, and uses a C-pillar design that’s a nod to the original Mk1 Golf.

On the inside, the Volkswagen ID.2 will adopt the same minimalist interior design as other ID.-badged Volkswagen models, dominated by a pair of displays measuring 10.9-inches for the instruments and 12.9-inches for the infotainment. In an important move, there’s a return to some physical controls, for the temperature, heated seats and audio volume, marking a switch in ethos following customer complaints about touch-sensitive switches.

It’s likely the gear selector will be a stalk on the steering column, which should be more intuitive than the ID.3’s rocker switch that sprouts from the instrument binnacle.

Can’t wait until 2025 for an affordable EV? Check out our list of the top 10 cheapest electric cars