The Small VW ID.2all Concept Is an Adorable Sub-$30K EV…But Will It Come to the U.S.?

I wouldn't hold my breath on this car making it to America...but I still like it

(Images: Volkswagen)

The Volkswagen ID.2all aims to be something many automakers still strive toward: an affordable EV.

All right, I know calling any car cute or adorable (let alone a Polo-sized EV like this) instantly put about half of you off. But take a look at the Volkswagen ID.2all concept and tell me you had a different response. VW showed off its latest small EV concept at an event in Hamburg, and mentioned this car will cost less than 25,000 Euros ($26,520) when it launches for the European market mid-decade.

There’s no word whether this subcompact hatchback will make it to the U.S. — I wouldn’t hold my breath, given our general attitude toward small cars — but you never know. Nonetheless, the ID.2all is still worth bringing up as it shows a new design language for VW’s models in 2025 and beyond.

“We want to be close to the customer and offer top technology in combination with fantastic design,” said VW CEO Thomas Schäfer. “We are implementing the transformation at pace to bring electric mobility to the masses.”

To that end, what the ID.2all represents is a hatchback between the Golf and the smaller Polo, as evidenced by the photo above. Technically speaking, it will slot below the existing ID.3 (which VW also doesn’t sell here), though this is the first vehicle on the MEB platform that’s front-wheel drive only.

As far as actual specs are concerned, VW says the ID.2all manages 222 horsepower (166 kW) from its single electric motor. That puts it nearly in the same ballpark as the Mk8 Golf GTI. Though, you do have to wonder what it will be like to funnel that sort of power through the front wheels alone. Could be fun, right? For what it’s worth, the automaker says the ID.2all will hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 7 seconds and have a top speed around 100 mph (160 km/h).

What about range?

Perhaps more interestingly, the Volkswagen ID.2all claims an estimated 450 kilometers (280 miles) of range on the WLTP cycle. That’s remarkably good for a small city car, though VW did not mention the car’s specific battery capacity. Mind you, this is still a concept, as it won’t head into production for another two years or so. The automaker also claimed 150 kW DC fast-charging capability.

In the grand scheme of VW’s electrification plan, the ID.2all falls among the 10 new EVs the company aims to launch by 2026. There’s an even smaller, cheaper ID.1 in the works, although that almost certainly will not come to the U.S. This car, should Volkswagen see reason to launch it here, would compete against cars like the Mini Cooper EV and upcoming Fiat 500e.

The company said it would spend nearly $200 billion (180 billion Euros) in the next 5 years to aggressively expand its electrification strategy. Of course, that includes clawing a larger footprint in North America, among increasing EV competition, and pumping R&D into new software and user features.

Actually, while we’re on that subject, one of the ID.2all’s most remarkable features is how many buttons it actually has. Volkswagen mentions the car’s “self-explanatory infotainment system with classic volume control” (i.e. you actually get a knob for it) and a “separate air conditioning block” (actual climate controls outside the infotainment screen).

The company’s being subtle about it, but cars like the new Golf R among others have gotten hammered for having fussy and sometimes downright frustrating touch controls. So, this car may actually do something about that by retaining real, pressable buttons.

We’ll undoubtedly find out more in the coming months, though our next EV arrival here in the U.S. will be the awesome-looking ID.Buzz: