Volkswagen ID 2: New technology key to an “affordable” EV crossover Car News

This connectivity technology will also be vital for the likely use of the MEB Entry models on carpooling “mobility” fleets, allowing users to rent them via a smartphone and activate the particular features they want.

The Volkswagen Group is in the process of introducing a unified battery cell design for the bulk of its future electric vehicle models, in order to lower production costs through greater economies of scale. But while the cells will be unified, the overall design will allow the use of different battery cell materials.

The MEB Entry models will use lithium-iron-phosphate technology, which the Volkswagen Group says will cost around 50% less to manufacture than current battery cells. Iron phosphate technology has limits in terms of range and charging time, but Volkswagen Group bosses think that’s less of a problem given the miles typically covered by entry-level city cars.

The MEB Entry platform is likely to support a number of battery sizes, ranging from 30 kWh to 45 kWh. That would mean ranges in the range of 120-180 miles. It is understood that the target price of £ 17,000 is for base models with the smaller battery, with higher spec models possibly costing around £ 21,500.

Achieving economies of scale in production will be key to achieving the starting price of £ 17,000 for entry-level MEB models. The Volkswagen Group aims to build all MEB Entry models in Spain and has reserved the Seat-Cupra plant in Martorell, near Barcelona. But this decision depends on securing support from the Spanish government to build a 40 GWh battery plant near the facility and develop the infrastructure to provide the required components. The Volkswagen group aims to secure financing for the Spanish strategic project for economic recovery and transformation.