Almost three years after Volkswagen first showed off its electric hatchback concept, the first car in VW's ID lineup is almost here, and now it finally has a name. Volkswagen officially introduced the ID 3 five-door to the world on Wednesday, ahead of its formal debut at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. In addition to offering some more information about its upcoming EV, VW also put out some new pictures of the ID 3, showing the vehicle's production silhouette in its best vaporwave camouflage. So why start with 3? It's not a riff on BMW's taxonomic structure -- instead, it shows that there's room both above and below this model for future electric cars. The Golf isn't the smallest car Volkswagen makes in Europe, so it stands to reason that the similarly sized (we think) ID 3 shouldn't be the smallest EV the automaker builds. This naming structure will also extend to other concepts we've already seen with different names. When they make it to production, the ID Crozz, ID Vizzion, ID Roomzz and others will be given similar numerical names. Enlarge Image Volkswagen While VW didn't give away the whole show, the automaker did offer up a few key details about what to expect. It will have three battery options: The short-range battery offers about 205 miles by WLTP measurements, with a midrange battery delivering about 261 miles, while the long-range battery extends that to about 342 miles. The lowest-range model is believed to start under 30,000 euros (about $33,600) in Germany, less any local incentives. As with many other fresh debuts, VW already has a special edition lined up. The ID 3 1st model was designed specifically for preorders, and it will come in four different colors and three different trims. The base trim includes larger wheels and navigation. The midlevel ID 3 1st Plus adds a two-tone exterior and interior, while the top ID 3 1st Max adds a panoramic roof and an augmented-reality HUD. The automaker says this one will be available for less than 40,000 euros. ID 3 1st buyers will also get 2,000 kilowatt-hours of free charges in the first year of ownership. There's still plenty of time before the ID 3 actually becomes a car. Production doesn't start until the end of 2019, and deliveries won't start for European customers until mid-2020. Some markets will get early access to preorders, while others will have to wait until after Frankfurt -- in total, 29 markets will be eligible for ID 3 preorders. A 1,000-euro deposit is required, but in Germany, the deposit will remain refundable until next April. In the US, we'll get the ID Crozz crossover first, and while the ID 3 isn't a given for the US market yet, let's hope VW comes around to that notion in the future.<doc-sep>Volkswagen has officially opened its order page for the all-electric ID.3 hatchback, in a livestream event in Berlin Thursday night (Australian time) that was met with varying degrees of excitement, and for some, a whisper of disappointment. The ID.3, as it is now officially known, is the the first of Volkswagen’s all-electric ID series to be built on its modular MEB platform that will underpin a whole new family of zero emissions vehicles from the auto group. First off the line, a limited run Special Edition ID.3 1st with 550km of range is being offered in the UK and Europe from a starting price of “under €40,000” (converts to under $A64,200), and can be pre-ordered with a €750 ($A1200 converted) deposit. “With the start of pan-European pre-booking for the ID.3, e-mobility at Volkswagen will become concrete for our customers. From today, everyone can take part,” said Jürgen Stackmann, Volkswagen brand’s chief of sales and marketing, said at the launch event at the DRIVE Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. “With the ID.3, we will be ushering in the third major chapter of strategic importance in the history of our brand, following the Beetle and the Golf. “With the ID.3, we are making the electric car fit for mass mobility. Initially, we will electrify Europe with the ID.3 and then other regions with further electric models in the ID. family which are to follow in the near future,” he said. The special edition will be available in four colours, with “high-quality, high-performance equipment”, including convenience features, including voice control and navigation systems, bi-color exterior and interiors as well as a maxi glass roof and augmented heads-up display. With a 58kWh battery pack (which the carmaker says is a “medium” size out of its final range of battery pack options), the ID.3 1st will offer 420km range based on the WLTP standard. Only 30,000 units of the special edition ID.3 1st will be made. Eventually, there will be three battery pack options, ranging from 45kWh for 330km range to 77kWh for 550km range (both on WLTP standard). While its certainly a exciting moment for VW, which has spent the last 4 years planning a redemption from the “Dieselgate” scandal in which it was caught out fudging emissions testing by the US Environmental Protection Agency, the pricing isn’t exactly what people had hoped for. With VW chief Herbert Diess promising last year that the carmaker would be selling EVs like Tesla but “cheaper by half” by 2020, it was thought that “electric for everyone” (as the carmaker’s motto goes) would mean a price tag of somewhere in around €20,000-25,000. The carmaker has now said that the 45kWh version of the ID.3, when it becomes available, will start at less than €30,000 ($A48,150 converted), which is over half the price of a 560km long-range Tesla Model 3 (WLTP), which starts at €54,800 ($A88,000 converted) but with considerably less range. In addition to the let-down in price, the carmaker has only released camouflaged photos of the ID.3 – one of which was leaked yesterday. In Australia – which still suffers from a distinct lack of choice when it comes to electric vehicles compared to overseas – the ID.3 is expected to arrive within the next few years. But while VW Australia’s brand experience manager Kurt McGuiness has previously told The Driven that Australia would be part of an ” early international introduction of models” starting from 2021, it appears that Australia’s failure to improve emissions regulations may see that date pushed back. In a media statement released on Thursday, VW Australia’s managing director, Michael Bartsch, said that Australia is “in danger of losing its place in the queue for EVs because this country’s automotive regulations have fallen behind the first-world norm”. Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology and has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018. She has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum.<doc-sep>(Pocket-lint) - Volkswagen has announced it will begin taking pre-orders in Europe for its first long-range, all-electric hatchback. It starts at €30,000. The car company is also revealing for the first time details about the car's name, what it costs, and what it'll feature. Called the ID.3, Volkswagen said there will be three versions: the entry-level model that will cost "under €30,000" (about $33,600) and will travel 330 kilometres (about 200 miles) on a single charge using a 45kWh battery; a 58kWh model that will get 420km (261 miles); and a 77kWh configuration that will get a 550km (342 miles) range. Volkswagen didn't announce pricing for the higher-range ID models, but it did mention we could expected a limited "first edition" version of the car for "less than €40,000" (about $44,760). All models of the midrange vehicle will offer 125kW DC fast charging and require a €1,000 (about $1,118) deposit. Volkswagen said production is expected to begin at the end of 2019, with deliveries starting in Europe around mid-2020. Volkswagen said it will make 30,000 of the "ID.3 1st" vehicles, and that you can expect up to 2,000kWh of charging for free during the first year through VW's partner charging networks. The basic model of the car will include voice control and a navigation system, too, while the "ID.3 1st Plus" model will feature interior lighting and a two-tone exterior. The "ID.3 1st Max" model will come with more "innovations", such as an AR heads-up display and a panoramic glass roof. All models of the ID will receive software updates, and they'll come with a full warranty on the battery for up to 8 years (up to 160,000 km/100,000 miles, or the depreciation of the battery to 70 per cent of its original maximum capacity). They'll also feature advanced driver assistance tech. The ID.3 is part of Volkswagen's "modular electric toolkit" - a platform for EVs that includes the battery pack and motor, designed to be highly modular. MEB will be used for 15 million cars across the VW group in the first wave, with four major vehicles types: the ID.3, the Vizzion (saloon), Crozz (SUV) and the Buzz (van). Future electric cars: Upcoming battery-powered cars that will be on the roads within the next 5 years By Chris Hall · 27 May 2021 You can learn more about the ID brand and its MEB tech from here. Writing by Maggie Tillman.<doc-sep>
Volkswagen is starting to take pre-orders for its ID.3 electric hatchback. It hasn’t fully unveiled the production version yet, but it has released some interesting specs and pricing information. The VW ID.3 electric hatchback will start at less than €30,000 and have over 330 km of range. First off, it’s now called the ID.3 and VW is opening reservations today for the ID.3 1ST, which is a special edition of the vehicle that will first be delivered to customers. It will come with free charging for the “first year up to a maximum of 2,000 kWh” at charging networks partnering with VW, including the IONITY network. It will also be equipped with some special features: “Volkswagen is offering the ID.3 1ST special edition in four colors and three versions. All the versions will feature large wheel rims and comprehensive equipment: the ID.3 1ST with comprehensive convenience features, including voice control and navigation system, the ID.3 1ST Plus with additional IQ. Light and bi-color exterior and interior design, and the ID.3 1ST Max with large panoramic glass roof and innovations such as the augmented reality head-up display.” The German automaker says that the ID.3 1ST will start “under €40,000” in Germany and interested prospective buyers can place a pre-order now for a €1,000 deposit. Interestingly, unlike how most manufacturers handle first special edition models, the ID.3 1ST won’t be the highest performance version of the new electric car. Volkswagen says that it will be equipped with the medium size battery pack option, which has a capacity of 58 kWh for a range of 420 km (261 miles) based on the WLTP standard. The regular production version of the ID.3 will be offered with three different battery pack options. The 58 kWh represents the mid-range option and VW will also offer 45 and 77 kWh battery packs: “The standard model will even be available in three variants: with the small battery (45 kWh, net) you will get up to 330 km (WLTP) far, and with the large (77 kWh, net) pack you will get up to 550 km (WLTP) possible. So there is the right model for almost every goal.” It represents between 205 and 342 miles of range based on the WLTP standard, which is known to be a little too generous. The EPA-rated range should be closer to 185 to 310 miles of range, but it’s irrelevant since it doesn’t look like VW currently has plans to launch the vehicle in the US. The German automaker is only opening pre-orders in European markets. As for the price beyond the ID.3 1ST edition, VW confirmed that they are targeting a based price of “less than €30,000” in Germany, where they need to advertise with the price including VAT. Interestingly, VW reiterated that production will start by the end of 2019, but they now say that the deliveries won’t start before “mid-2020”. They plan to make 30,000 first edition vehicles, but the overall regular VW ID production will be over 100,000 units per year. As for the design, VW is still waiting for the full unveiling later this year. For now, they are showing off the camouflaged prototype that we reported on earlier this week: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.