Opinion: Volkswagen’s ID Life is big business, not just a crashed ID 3 Car News

The Volkswagen ID Life concept, unveiled at the Munich motor show, was overdue.

The bosses of the company have been talking for years about the intention and the desire to produce an entry-level, € 20,000 (£ 17,000) electric vehicle – a popular real electric car, if you will. But the challenge of doing so has been immense.

So the fact that ID Life exists, albeit in concept form and with still three years before it goes into production, is a big deal. This is Volkswagen’s offer to make a truly affordable EV. And certainly, if the concept’s specs match a production car, it should be very competitive for its price.

What is remarkable is that the ID Life is not just a crushed ID 3, showing how well the Volkswagen Group has developed the MEB Entry platform that will support it as well as the sister cars of Cupra (considered like the Urban Rebel concept) and Skoda. The wheelbase is shorter, while the engine has been moved from the rear axle to the front axle, which Volkswagen says improves the design of a compact crossover.

Also of interest is the importance of software and connectivity to the production version of ID Life (probably referred to as ID 2 in production). Volkswagen has already rolled out live software updates for ID 3 and ID 4, and this will likely become a key way to sell features etc. Volkswagen has talked about these concepts with its upcoming high-end autonomous cruiser Project Trinity, and it’s significant that such ideas extend to the entry level.

So expect ID Life to come with a very limited range of options, with additional features then offered as downloadable extras. This will help Volkswagen reduce the cost of production, reducing the number of parts needed, etc., especially when you add the economies of scale resulting from producing 500,000 cars per year on the MEB Entry platform.

Of course, that means the overall price tag of £ 17,000 might not be entirely imaginable, but Volkswagen aims to prove that it will offer buyers more flexibility and freedom. You will have to buy only the features you really need on the one hand, and Volkswagen is hoping that this will help resale prices because you won’t be affected if you don’t add an option that is becoming desirable in the car market. ‘opportunity.

Indeed, this is going to require a change of mindset on the part of buyers – but one that largely reflects the evolution of the automotive market. And if ID Life is as important as expected, expect it to become a key part of this auto market from 2025.

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