After the devastating Dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen made a massive bet on the electric future. Now, that future is fast becoming the present. The German company’s new ID.3 hatchback is already hitting the roads in Europe; in turn, the first all-new VW electric vehicle that will hit the U.S. — the ID.4 crossover SUV — will be unveiled unveil on September 23. And you won’t have to wait long to buy one.
VW plans to get the ID.4 to market quickly and has already had the crossover in production at its Chinese factory. According to Automotive News, VW will begin taking $100 refundable reservations following the reveal, with an additional $400 down needed to lock in your dream configuration. Vehicles will arrive at VW dealers — 99 percent of which have agreed to sell the ID family of EVs — before the end of 2o2o.
We know what the ID.4 will look like from leaked photos, though much beyond that is a mystery. According to Automotive News, VW expects the ID.4 will have a 300-mile range. If the electric crossover has a price tag in the $30,000 range (with a federal tax credit factored in) and has enough storage space to at least be a credible alternative to crossovers like the RAV4 and the CR-V, it could be the game-changing mass-market EV we’ve all been waiting for.
The timing could be critical. Nissan’s cool-looking Ariya is not due until the second half of 2021. The upcoming Toyobaru EV may not go into production until 2022. Tesla’s affordable EV may still be in the conception stage. If VW beats them all with a tangible, quality EV that can arrive in driveways by the end of 2020, it could be at a substantial competitive advantage.