Volkswagen ought to be a much bigger EV participant — and possibly it may be

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Reasonably priced EVs are on lots of people’s minds lately, however one title is lacking from the dialog. Volkswagen launched its ID household of EVs seven years in the past with the promise of electrical mobility for “the thousands and thousands, not millionaires,” however in the USA a minimum of, the promise stays simply that.

The VW Group has lavished assets on its luxurious manufacturers Audi and Porsche, and even created the brand new Scout model to problem Rivian, however it’s let its namesake model stagnate. VW solely sells the ageing ID.4 crossover within the U.S. It’s an unlucky state of affairs for what was one of the vital promising efforts by a longtime automaker to carry EVs to the lots. However VW could have already figured a method out.

The ID Imaginative and prescient

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Out of the soot and ashes of the “Dieselgate” emissions scandal, Volkswagen doubled down on an EVs as a technique to clear up its picture and meet stricter future emissions requirements. What it got here up with was a versatile structure known as MEB that might assist a number of fashions in-built giant volumes, offering the economies of scale to make EVs inexpensive and worthwhile.

To point out it was critical, VW named first MEB-based mannequin—a European-market hatchback formed like a Nineteen Nineties pc mouse—the ID.3 to suggest its standing as an epoch-making car following the unique Beetle and the Golf, the mannequin that introduced VW into the trendy age and ushered within the period of the fundamental, front-wheel drive compact automotive. Manufacturing began in 2019 and VW stated on the time that it could have 50 electrical fashions totaling 15 million cumulative international gross sales by 2028.

Realizing that Individuals have an aversion to hatchbacks (partly due to unhealthy reminiscences of early diesel variations of the Golf), VW opted to carry the MEB revolution to this market with the ID.4, a crossover SUV designed to compete in opposition to widespread fashions just like the Toyota RAV4. Extra importantly, VW deliberate to construct the ID.4 in giant numbers at its Tennessee manufacturing facility, nudge sellers into promoting them, and worth them competitively beginning at round $35,000.

The ID.4 actuality

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VW was in a position to ship on that promise initially. The ID.4 launched in 2021 as a considerably bland entry that, other than early software program points, was additionally inoffensive. Very like the gasoline crossovers it hoped to compete in opposition to, in different phrases. The EV had a beginning worth of $41,190 with 260 miles of vary in rear-wheel drive launch kind. VW quickly added an all-wheel drive model and ramped up manufacturing in Tennessee.

The automaker went on promote a excessive of 37,789 items in 2023, however a door-latch challenge that pressured a recall and manufacturing halt curtailed gross sales in 2024. Manufacturing restarted simply in time for the cancellation of federal EV incentives and common financial chaos of 2025, however VW rallied to promote 23,373 items over the course of the complete. Nevertheless, one other manufacturing slowdown meant the ID.4 ran out of cost towards the top of the 12 months, with simply 248 automobiles delivered in This fall.

A chaotic 2025 doubtless hid what ought to be a gentle decline. The ID.4 is now an previous mannequin by trade requirements, and not aggressive with the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, whose 800-volt electrical architectures depart the VW within the mud in the case of charging. And whereas the longest-range variations can now go about 290 miles per cost, the value has additionally crept as much as about $45,000. You'll be able to spec a 318-mile Ioniq 5 for about $7,500 much less.

Distractions

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How did VW get up to now? Mission creep is partly in charge. The automaker did introduce a less expensive model of the ID.4 for the 2023 mannequin 12 months, however it nonetheless price just below $39,000 — nonetheless a number of grand off from the unique goal — and solely had 209 miles of vary. However VW largely ignored the ID.4 after that and targeted on two fashions that proved to be a waste of time.

The primary was the ID.7 sedan which, regardless of its modern seems to be, was all the time going to be a troublesome promote within the U.S. Whether or not they’re gasoline or electrical, sedan gross sales have hit a low level on this aspect of the Atlantic. VW talked an enormous recreation, staging a U.S. reveal and even inviting American media to drive the ID.7, however pulled the plug earlier than gross sales began.

In the meantime, VW had been teasing a contemporary model of the traditional Microbus primarily based on the MEB structure, beginning with an idea automotive that appeared on the 2017 Detroit Auto Present. The manufacturing ID.Buzz didn’t attain the U.S. till the 2025 mannequin 12 months, and solely in an overpriced kind that drew few takers. As of this writing, the Buzz has been placed on maintain for the 2026 mannequin 12 months. The truth that the ID.Buzz was spearheaded by VW’s European commercial-vehicle division doubtless contributed to its flop as a U.S.-market passenger car.

Can VW flip issues round?

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It’s tempting to assume that VW’s sputtering EV efforts are simply one other manifestation of the automaker’s issue in understanding the U.S. market, the identical ignorance (or maybe conceitedness) that led to Dieselgate and has typically stored VW a smaller participant on this market for an organization of its dimension. Solely this time, VW may even have a plan to show issues round.

Automotive Information Europe reported this week that, as a part of an upcoming refresh, the ID.4 will change into the ID.Tiguan. It signifies a transfer away from the ID EV fashions as a brand new period for VW, but in addition brings the ID.4 nearer to its unique mission of competing with the most-popular gasoline crossovers. The Tiguan is VW’s bestselling mannequin within the U.S., and borrowing its title provides prospects a body of reference, simply because the Chevrolet Equinox EV does for Normal Motors buyers. Hopefully that’s backed by adjustments that make the ID.4/Tiguan really feel extra like a standard automotive and fewer like a mashup of tech tendencies.

A refreshed ID.4 might nonetheless be related in a U.S. market the place small electrical crossovers stay widespread, and the place VW already has a neighborhood manufacturing base many different manufacturers want that they had. It’ll nonetheless be a far cry from the lofty objectives that kicked off the ID undertaking (VW stated in 2024 that it had offered 1.3 million ID-family EVs globally), however an inexpensive, sensible EV remains to be as essential right now because it was then.