Autocar February 15, 2023

TWO STRATEGIES have emerged with the launch of electric cars. One is for car makers to create a range parallel to existing models with new nomenclatures, as the likes of Volkswagen (ID) and Mercedes (EQ) have done. The other is to offer electric versions of existing models, a strategy the Stellantis brands among others have employed. The issue with the former is that at some point you have to decide which of those two ranges will prevail long term, which legislation dictates will be the electric range. At this point, you face giving up all brand equity created with names from the past and present. Golf is perhaps the most famous model name in the automotive world and has far greater meaning and cultural impact than being a badge on…

TWO STRATEGIES have emerged with the launch of electric cars. One is for car makers to create a range parallel to existing models with new nomenclatures, as the likes of Volkswagen (ID) and Mercedes (EQ) have done. The other is to offer electric versions of existing models, a strategy the Stellantis brands among others have employed. The issue with the former is that at some point you have to decide which of those two ranges will prevail long term, which legislation dictates will be the electric range. At this point, you face giving up all brand equity created with names from the past and present. Golf is perhaps the most famous model name in the automotive world and has far greater meaning and cultural impact than being a badge on a tailgate.…

Volkswagen has gone back to the drawing board for its longawaited ID 2 urban EV, providing its smallest electric car with a completely new exterior and interior that are set to be previewed on a new concept car in March. Scheduled to go on sale in 2025 at a targeted base price of €22,500 (£20,135) in today’s money, the compact five-seater is being lined up to get the Golf name, according to Wolfsburg insiders. Autocar sources have also confirmed that the ID 2 will be the first Volkswagen based on the MEB-Plus platform – an updated version of today’s widely used MEB electric car structure that features new LFP (lithium iron phosphate) prismatic battery cells and charging speeds of up to 200kW, among other developments. Nothing is official at this stage, but…

Volkswagen has gone back to the drawing board for its longawaited ID 2 urban EV, providing its smallest electric car with a completely new exterior and interior that are set to be previewed on a new concept car in March. Scheduled to go on sale in 2025 at a targeted base price of €22,500 (£20,135) in today’s money, the compact five-seater is being lined up to get the Golf name, according to Wolfsburg insiders. Autocar sources have also confirmed that the ID 2 will be the first Volkswagen based on the MEB-Plus platform – an updated version of today’s widely used MEB electric car structure that features new LFP (lithium iron phosphate) prismatic battery cells and charging speeds of up to 200kW, among other developments. Nothing is official at this…

A HIGHER-RIDING ID 2X similar to Volkswagen’s Alltrack models is also under consideration. But with fourwheel drive on hold for now, it has yet to receive a definitive green light for production. Launching a taller and more ‘rugged’ version of the ID 2 would allow Volkswagen to essentially mirror its current entry-level offering, comprising the Polo and technically identical T-Cross. The now-axed ID Life concept was itself a similar size to the T-Cross, and the most recent iteration of the Cupra Urban Rebel is of a similar shape and stature, so evidently the MEB Entry platform is being engineered to accommodate compact SUVs as well as hatchbacks. The introduction of a four-wheel drive system in the ID 2 line-up also raises the intriguing possibility of an electric successor to today’s…

A HIGHER-RIDING ID 2X similar to Volkswagen’s Alltrack models is also under consideration. But with fourwheel drive on hold for now, it has yet to receive a definitive green light for production. Launching a taller and more ‘rugged’ version of the ID 2 would allow Volkswagen to essentially mirror its current entry-level offering, comprising the Polo and technically identical T-Cross. The now-axed ID Life concept was itself a similar size to the T-Cross, and the most recent iteration of the Cupra Urban Rebel is of a similar shape and stature, so evidently the MEB Entry platform is being engineered to accommodate compact SUVs as well as hatchbacks. The introduction of a four-wheel drive system in the ID 2 line-up also raises the intriguing possibility of an electric successor to today’s full-fat Golf…