VW ID.Every1: Volkswagen wants to become ‘car for the people’ again

At a big event on Wednesday, Volkswagen showed its concept of the €20,000 BEV it wants to launch by 2027, the VW ID. Every1. The name gives away the whole idea: with this small BEV, ‘Volks-Wagen’ wants to become the manufacturer of ‘the car for all people’ again.

With the series model, which will follow in 2027, the German carmaker specifically targets private and commercial customers in care and delivery services.

High hopes, increased pressure

There’s no doubt about it: the hope in the ID. Every1 is high. Even before the world premiere on Wednesday in Düsseldorf, Germany, top management showed its workforce the first design sketches of the upcoming small electric car.

The feedback is said to have been positive, which has certainly not been the case often recently when the VW Board of Management faced its employees; the labor dispute and the threat of plant closures are still too present in people’s minds.

But there’s not only hope; there’s also increasing pressure. More than five years after the first ID.3 rolled off the production line, Volkswagen’s electric cars based on the MEB have (too) slowly reached a competitive level.

Initially, the software was not ready for the market; the cars were too expensive compared to the hard plastic used, and others set benchmarks. In the meantime, the electric VWs are selling increasingly well, thanks to many updates, and the ID.7, for example, is a real success in Europe.

So, the clouds are slowly clearing on the ID. side, but there is one big problem: While Stellantis, Renault, Hyundai, and the Chinese are launching EVs for under €25,000, VW does not want to show the production version of the ID.2all concept presented in 2023 until 2026.

After that, one premiere should be quickly followed by the next. VW will launch the corresponding small SUV in the four-meter segment, followed by further offshoots from Skoda and Cupra. Then, in 2027, the ID.1, with a sales price of €20,000, is set to open up another new segment for VW.

No second chance anymore

VW must deliver as quickly as possible. The market will not forgive it again if it unleashes unfinished EVs while the competition delivers. Volkswagen is already late to the game.

For the premiere of the ID. Every1 concept car, the marketing department immediately endeavors to make the big comparisons: “Volkswagen has made affordable mobility possible for millions of people with compact and likable cars since the Beetle.”

Like the ID.2all and its sports version, the ID. Concept GTI, the ID. EVERY1 is part of the Electric Urban Car Family and is based on the new modular e-drive system (MEB front-wheel drive).

With its dimensions of 3.88 m in length, 1.82 m in width, and 1.49 m in height, the new VW is larger than its predecessor, the VW Up!, except for the height.

The ID.2 will be 4.05 m long and almost equal to the current Polo—the ID.Every1 concept is designed as a four-seater, and the series version will probably be so, too. The boot can hold 305 liters of luggage.

The small ID. Every1 uses a newly developed electric motor with 70 kW, which should enable a top speed of 130 kph. There are no details about the battery yet, but according to VW, the WLTP range should be “at least 250 kilometers.”

That doesn’t sound outstanding; the current competition (Leapmotor) already offers that with the t03. Renault hasn’t shared details yet for its upcoming Renault Twingo.

An SDV? No, a CDV

Above all, the ID.1 should score points with the software that once spoilt the MEB launch. Volkswagen emphasizes the car’s new software but doesn’t say it’s a ‘software-defined vehicle’ (SDV).

“With future models, we are talking about Customer Defined Vehicles. The ID. Every1 shows that we are placing our customers, their wishes, interests, and preferences at the center of vehicle development more consistently than ever before,” says Kai Grünitz, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Technical Development.

As the first model in the entire Group, the series version of the ID. Every1 will utilize a fundamentally new, particularly powerful software architecture, presumably the architecture developed jointly with Rivian.

“This will enable the future basic Volkswagen to receive new functions over its entire life cycle if its users wish. Even after purchasing a new car, it can be customized to their needs,” writes VW.

Bold yet accessible

For the design, the concept is intended to set the general direction of the series model. “We aimed to create something bold yet accessible,” says chief designer Andreas Mindt. “The ID. Every1 is self-confident but remains likable, thanks to details such as the dynamic front lights and the ‘smiling’ rear. These design elements make it more than just a car: they give it character and an identity that people can connect with.”

The appeal is to be achieved through a friendly appearance. The striking LED headlights and the stylized radiator grille are intended to look familiar. It is striking that VW uses a ‘fake’ grille again for an electric car, probably thinking it’s more familiar to the customer.

The ‘Flying Roof Concept’ features a lower roofline in the center, resulting in a striking view, especially from above. This depression in the center of the roof is echoed by the third brake light at the rear, with the two outer surfaces forming the roof edge as an aerodynamic spoiler lip. This is also intended to improve the airflow and increase the range.

Regarding the interior, VW speaks of a ‘revolutionary space giant.’ The new front-wheel drive MEB is intended to enable a ‘perfect’ space economy. The concept has a central touchscreen and buttons for air conditioning, seat heating, and audio volume underneath it.

VW also states that the “haptically pleasant surfaces are finished in warm, friendly colors” and that a “lounge-like seating system” will be included. The company has reformed after the hard plastic disaster of the first ID.3.

Small details are designed to increase practicality: the dashboard is characterized by horizontal lines, for example, into which a small rail is also integrated on the passenger side.

As in the large ID Buzz, a tablet holder or a small table can be clipped onto this, and the center console can be moved on a rail as a ‘multifunctional shelf’ up to the rear seat.

A brand for everyone

VW CEO Thomas Schäfer sees the ID.Every1 as “the final piece of the puzzle on our way to the broadest model selection in the volume segment.”

“We will then offer the right car with the right drive system for every customer, including affordable all-electric entry-level mobility,” says Schäfer. “Our ambition is to become the world’s leading volume manufacturer in technology by 2030. And as a brand for everyone, just as you would expect from Volkswagen.”