VW Names Electric Hatchback the “ID.3”

Volkswagen AG says its upcoming all-electric compact hatchback will be called the ID.3.

The 2021 model (pictured in camouflage) is the first of several EVs that VW will market under its new “ID” sub-brand. The ID.3 is scheduled to be unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show in September.

VW says the vehicle marks the beginning of the third major phase in the brand’s history, following the original Beetle and Golf.

Production is due to start late this year at VW’s plant in Zwickau, Germany. Customer deliveries are expected to start in the first half of 2020. VW aims to sell about 110,000 ID.3s per year worldwide, with the bulk of the volume earmarked for Europe.

The company has begun taking refundable deposits for the launch edition, which will be limited to 30,000 units. Featuring a 58-kWh battery and a 260-mile driving range, the mid-range launch model will be base-priced at about $44,800 in Germany.

The entry-level ID.3 will start at less than $34,000. That vehicle will have a 45-kWh battery and a 205-mile range. A top-end model with a 77-kWh battery and 365-mile range also is planned.

Built on VW’s MEB (modular electric toolkit) platform, the ID.3 is about six inches longer and slightly wider and taller than the Golf compact car. But the carmaker says the EV layout will provide significantly more interior room, equivalent to that of a traditionally powered midsize car.

Volkswagen Group plans to introduce 27 MEB-based models across its Audi, SEAT, Skoda and VW brands by 2025. This includes as many as 10 ID-badged vehicles.

Recent ID concepts such as the Buzz, Crozz, Roomzz and Vizzion will be renamed with numeric designations based on VW’s internal classifications for vehicle types and segment. For example, a Polo-sized entry-level mini-EV will be called the ID.1.