CleanTechnica has done a rave review of the new VW EV:
Volkswagen ID.3 Arrives — Superb Mix Of Quality & Affordability
Some years ago, Volkswagen Group discovered that the only legitimate way forward in the auto world was electrification. (Who knows what triggered that realization?) From that point on, from everything I’ve seen in the past few years, part of the company has been working hard to develop high-quality, competitive electric vehicles. The new ID.3 is proof of that.
The important news of today is that the Volkswagen ID.3 has been officially unveiled, camouflage removed and all. Actually, I should say, the important news of today is that the hot new Volkswagen ID.3 is a genuinely competitive, compelling electric offering.
We often compare new electric cars to Teslas because 1) Tesla has long set the standard in this industry, and 2) the new offerings are generally in the price range of certain Tesla vehicles. Unfortunately, we are often disappointed with market entrants. Tesla has some known competitive advantages in the electric auto world and those advantages have kept its vehicle specs and value for the money well ahead of the competition. Though, Tesla does not serve the needs and desires of all buyers, and well designed electric vehicles from other automakers can be highly competitive in additional vehicle classes if the automakers try to make them so. The Volkswagen ID.3 is definitely one of those vehicles.
The first important number is that the base version of the ID.3 will start below €30,000* ($33,150). That’s in the mainstream, mass-market segment. Calculate the tremendous operational savings you can get from an electric vehicle and you have a highly competitive electric hatchback that could sell in large volumes. (For comparison, note that the base price of the Tesla Model 3 is currently €43,390 in Germany and €48,980 in the Netherlands.)
The ID.3 interior is fairly high tech and looks like it has a semi-premium quality to it. So, even if other vehicles this size may come at a lower price point, it should be quickly apparent to consumers that this vehicle is in a different class from a gasoline or diesel compact car from VW.
Volkswagen is also smart to highlight that the interior of the ID.3 has a lot more space than you’d expect — “it offers more room than any other vehicle in its category and sets new standards.” Again, this comes down to good electric design from the ground up. Tesla has clearly maximized space in its vehicles via its “skateboard” battery and powertrain design. I have long said the BMW i3 did a good job of this as well, making an objectively tiny car feel like an open, fairly spacious crossover. Volkswagen’s MEB platform, which the ID.3 is based on and Volkswagen will use for many models, looks like a well designed platform that has, in this case, allowed Volkswagen to set a new standard for interior space in a car in this class. Drivers and passengers will appreciate it.
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