Volkswagen is in a tough spot right now. Facing slowing Chinese sales, a Chinese car onslaught on its own turf, the threat of having to shutter European assembly plants, tariffs, and no new electric vehicles (EVs) in the pipeline this year except for the retro-inspired ID.Buzz, the German giant desperately needs to find new ways to reinvent itself.
Recent investments in Rivian and Scout Motors here in the U.S. seem to be for the long-run, but on a more short-term roadmap, what VW needs is a return to form, a new-generation people’s car, something along the lines of the adorable ID.EVERY1 concept revealed this week. While we’re still a few years ahead of this new EV’s official market launch, we just found out that it’ll be the first-ever VW to borrow some of Rivian‘s technology.
Volkswagen
- Founded
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1937
- Founder
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German Labour Front
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Here’s Why Rivian Is Worth Billions To Volkswagen
Rivian took a substantial amount of cash from VW, and its tech is what’ll make the investment worth it for the German company.
2027 Volkswagen ID.EVERY1 To Start At $21,000, Carmaker Says
The biggest highlight of the Volkswagen ID.EVERY1 – which will most likely just be called ID.1 once it goes on sale in 2027 – isn’t that it looks like an older generation of the Golf, although I personally dig the way this thing looks. Rather, the big news is how affordable VW says it’ll be. If the automaker can indeed pull it off, this electric subcompact urban hatchback should start at a seriously affordable 20,000 Euros, or around $21,000 USD. Now that’s dirt cheap.
The idea behind this strategy is to allow VW to compete against the low-cost EVs equipped with advanced software functions, as well as segment-leading range and charging performance that the Chinese automakers have recently launched in Europe. VW says that the ID.1 will be the first of a whole new family of low-cost EVs. The front-wheel-driven ID.1 is tiny by any measure, measuring at just 153 inches in total length, and only slightly longer than the European Up, or about the size of a Polo. VW is aiming for a range figure of about 150 miles. The car is set to be built at Volkswagen’s Setubal assembly plant, in Portugal.
Rivian’s EV Technology Will Simplify The ID.1’s Production And Lower Costs
Where Rivian’s expertise comes into play is helping Volkswagen manufacture an EV that’s cost-effective and considerably leaner than what the German automaker currently builds. The ID.1’s EV-dedicated platform will spearhead a whole new way of building electric vehicles at VW, including fewer electronic control units and considerably less wiring.
This will all lead to lowering production costs, yes, but also the vehicle’s weight, preventing it from requiring a large-capacity battery to move around. VW hasn’t announced battery chemistry nor capacity yet, but very much like the Fiat 500e, the ID.4 could prove once more that smaller, lighter EVs are the smarter route to take for automakers. Different versions of the ID.1, destined for other Volkswagen Group brands, like Skoda, Seat, and Cupra, will also eventually be made available. As for the North American market, it’s obvious that the ID.1 is too small and too niche to seduce our SUV-addicted buyers. But it’ll be interesting to see what kind of U.S.-bound models will come out of this new partnership with Rivian.
