VW promised ID. Polo for €25,000, but its appearance will have to wait
Volkswagen may delay the appearance of a truly affordable version of the ID.Polo electric hatchback, despite the previously announced starting price of €25,000. According to Handelsblatt, at the start of sales, buyers will likely be offered more expensive modifications.
What is known
Volkswagen plans to start taking orders for the ID.Polo in April 2026. The market launch of the model is expected in the same year. However, according to sources among dealers, only the version with a 211 hp (155 kW) electric motor and a 52 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery will be available initially. This configuration, according to preliminary estimates, will cost about €30,000 or more — depending on the configuration and taxes in a particular region.
More affordable versions of the ID.Polo with motors of 116 hp (85 kW) and 135 hp (99 kW) are expected to receive a simpler and cheaper 37 kWh battery. It will provide less range but allow the price to be kept at €25,000. According to Handelsblatt, these batteries will not be ready by the model's launch.
Volkswagen associates the delay in the appearance of base versions of the new model with the limited availability of cheaper battery cells. The company emphasizes that this is not about a change in pricing strategy, but about supply issues. Officially, the manufacturer talks about a delay of just a few weeks.
Dealers are less optimistic about the situation. Some of them suggest that the wait for the base version could be extended to six months or even longer. According to one source, it could take six to nine months before the configuration with the smaller battery becomes available for order.
The delay matters since Volkswagen has actively promoted the ID.Polo as a €25,000 electric car aimed at the mass market. The only exception will be the future GTI version, which will be the first electric Volkswagen with this designation and was never intended to be budget-friendly.
Source: Handelsblatt
