Volkswagen ID 1 revealed: 155 miles of range and prices from £16,500

On sale 2027 | Price from £16,500 (est)

Think of the upcoming Volkswagen ID 1 as being like the sadly-departed iPod Shuffle version of the Apple MP3 player, which was extremely simple, with no display and few controls. That’s because when it goes on sale in 2027, it’ll be the smallest and cheapest model in Volkswagen’s electric car line-up.

Serving as a spiritual successor to the Volkswagen e-Up hatchback, the new model will have every measure taken to keep costs down. Maximising the economies of scale, the ID 1’s bespoke underpinnings will also be used by sister models from across the wider Volkswagen Group – you can read more about those cars further down this story.

However, the ID Every1 concept suggests that the production model will be closer to other models from the brand when it comes to tech. 

The VW ID 1 concept has a large, centrally mounted infotainment touchscreen optimised for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. There are physical buttons below the screen for the audio volume, seat heating and temperature control, and there’s also a small, removable Bluetooth speaker on the dash. On the passenger’s side, there’s a rail that can be used to attach a tablet or shelf.

The centre console contains shelves and is mounted on another rail, like the system in the ID Buzz, so it can slide back and forward to be used by front and rear seat passengers.

The ID 1 concept has chunky proportions, with prominent wheelarches, a nose treatment that hat-tips VWs from the 1970s and 1980s, and a longer bonnet than the e-Up.

The production model may not retain the concept’s 19in wheels, but it promises to be just as roomy enough inside for four adults because it’s based on VW’s new modular electric drive (MEB) platform, which has a front-wheel drive layout and enables the designers to utilise maximum interior space. 

Boot space is reasonable, too. At 305 litres, it’s comparable with the Dacia Spring and a third larger than that of the Leapmotor T03. The MEB platform also underpins other VW Group models, including the larger ID 2, the electric replacement for the Polo which is due to go on sale in 2026. 

Although full technical details haven’t yet been confirmed, VW says the ID 1 will have a 70kW motor, giving it a top speed of 81mph. Officially it will do at least 250km (155 miles) between charges. This is a few miles less than the second-generation e-Up, which could officially cover 161 miles between top-ups of its 32.3kWh (usable) battery. 

However, it compares well with current rivals, such as the Leapmotor T03, which promises 165 miles from its 36kWh (usable) battery, and the Dacia Spring, which can officially eke 140 miles out of its 26.8kWh battery. What this means is that the ID 1 will be best suited to commuting and shorter journeys, with its modest battery size being key to keeping costs down.

With prices starting at just €20,000 (around £16,500), the ID 1 will be among the cheapest electric cars on sale. That means it could tempt buyers away from the £15,995 Leapmotor T03 and the Dacia Spring, which is currently Britain’s cheapest electric car.

Following the brand’s pivot to focus on small electric cars and electric mobility solutions, a Seat version of the ID 1 is due to arrive in around 2028.

Other small electric cars confirmed

The ID 1 is only one of a new generation of budget electric cars to be confirmed by Volkswagen, with four additional cars due to arrive in 2025, and each targeting a price of around £22,000. All four will be built in Spain, and here’s what we know about each of them so far.

Volkswagen ID 2

Sitting above the ID 1 will be this electric replacement for today’s Volkswagen Polo, which will use shortened underpinnings from the existing ID 3. It’ll be sold with two battery options – the smaller 38kWh unit good for an official range of around 220 miles, while the larger 56kWh battery will boost range to 280 miles. 

If you go for the smaller battery, you’ll get a single 180bhp electric motor which drives the front wheels, while opting for the larger battery boosts power to 223bhp, and drops the claimed 0-62mph sprint time to less than 7.0sec.

Inside, you’ll find seating for five, plus a 10.9in digital driver’s display and 12.9in infotainment touchscreen. 

With a targeted charging rate of 125kW, a 10-80% top-up could take as little as 20 minutes if you use the fastest public chargers.

The base price for the ID 2 will be less than €25,000 – which is just over £20,800.

Volkswagen ID 2X

Take the upcoming ID 2, add some chunky body cladding and raised suspension and, hey presto, you’ve created the ID 2X, an electric small SUV which will effectively serve as a replacement for today’s Volkswagen T-Cross.

Expect the ID 2X to offer the same battery options as its smaller sibling, and to keep that car’s charging capabilities and interior fixtures and fittings. Like the ID 2, the ID 2X will only be sold in single-motor, front-wheel drive form in order to keep costs down. That rules out a go-faster GTX-badged model arriving after its launch.

Skoda Epiq

Skoda’s small electric SUV was revealed in concept form back in March, and will count the upcoming Fiat Panda replacement, and the reborn Renault 4, among its key rivals. With Chunky SUV styling designed to give the car a rugged appearance, the Epiq will join the larger Elroq, the Enyaq and a new seven-seat electric SUV based on last year’s Skoda Vision 7S concept car. It should be priced at around £21,000.

Cupra Raval

Originally previewed with the UrbanRebel concept car, we now know that Cupra’s small electric car will be called the Cupra Raval. Again borrowing its battery, motors and underpinnings from the ID 2, the Raval should be capable of around 280 miles of range in top-end form.

The UrbanRebel concept showed the car to have a minimalist interior, with a small digital instrument cluster and a large central infotainment screen.

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