New Volkswagen ID 1 electric car previewed, plus the other EVs coming soon

On sale 2027 | Price from £17,000 (est)

Think of the upcoming Volkswagen ID 1 as being like the sadly-departed iPod Shuffle. 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.

While technical details of the ID 1 have yet to be confirmed, it will be benchmarked to at least match what the e-Up could manage. That model was powered by a 36.8kWh battery which offered a range of 161 miles. And while that might not sound like much compared with today’s electric cars – the MG4, for example, can officially take you 218 miles in entry-level form, it could be enough for your weekday commute and will help to keep costs low.

Despite its budget ethos, the ID 1 is still expected to feature the same digital instruments and infotainment touchscreen as you’ll find on Volkswagen’s larger electric cars. That includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, allowing you to use your phone’s apps on the infotainment screen. We’ve been disappointed with the infotainment setup in the larger ID 3 electric family car, because its system proved to be laggy and confusingly laid out in our tests. To give an idea of how this might look, we've included a picture of the upcoming Volkswagen ID 2's interior below.

There should be seating for five people inside the ID 1, and a small boot. Don’t expect to fit much into it, however – with the ID 1’s battery likely packaged beneath its floor, space will be at a premium. Still, there should be enough room for your weekly shop.

With a targeted price of just £17,000, the new ID 1 will be among the cheapest electric cars you can buy when sales begin. Even by today’s standards, the ID 1’s price beats that of the Citroën e-C3 , while only the £14,999 Dacia Spring would keep it from being Britain’s cheapest electric car.

While the car is likely to take the ID 1 name, Volkswagen bosses have said that it is looking to retain popular name plates within its electric car range, with ID Golf, ID Passat and ID Tiguan all earmarked for future models. If that strategy comes to fruition, the ID 1 could take the ID Up name into production.

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. 

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.

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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