VOLKSWAGEN'S ID. EVERY1 CONCEPT CAR HOPES TO BRING THE MAGIC OF EVS TO, WELL, EVERY1
Since the days of the Beetle, Volkswagen has prided itself on making mobility accessible to the masses. Now, with the ID. EVERY1 concept, the German automaker claims it’s bringing affordability to the EV game. But here’s the kicker: when it arrives in 2027, it’ll start at around €20,000. That’s roughly R410,000 in today’s money - before taxes and markups. Affordable? Maybe in Europe. For South Africans, let’s just say my 21-year-old GTi suddenly feels like an even bigger bargain. The ID. EVERY1 is part of VW’s new Electric Urban Car Family, joining the ID. 2all, which is set to debut in 2026 at a starting price of €25,000. Both models are built on Volkswagen’s latest front-wheel-drive modular electric platform (MEB) and are positioned as the gateway to entry-level EV ownership. Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, sees this as a game-changer: “The ID. EVERY1 is the final piece in our puzzle to offer the widest range of vehicles in the volume segment. We want to make EVs accessible to all.”
That’s the plan, at least. In reality, pricing remains a major hurdle. While €20,000 might sound reasonable in Europe, local pricing in places like SA could tell a different story once import duties and dealer markups come into play. Volkswagen says its new EVs are designed with customers in mind—what they call “Customer Defined Vehicles.” According to VW’s Head of Technical Development, Kai Grünitz, this means the ID. EVERY1 will feature a next-gen software architecture, allowing updates and upgrades over time. In theory, this means buyers won’t be stuck with outdated tech a few years down the line. But let’s be honest—when was the last time a car company actually let you unlock meaningful features without asking for more money? If the ID. EVERY1 looks familiar, that’s because it takes design cues from Volkswagen’s much-loved Up! city car. According to VW’s Head of Design, Andreas Mindt, the goal was to make something “bold yet accessible.” The concept’s distinctive front lights and “smiling” rear design are meant to give it personality - because apparently, a car that winks at you is more likeable.
Size-wise, the ID. EVERY1 slots between the retired Up! (3,600 mm), the ID. 2all (4,050 mm), and the Polo (4,074 mm), measuring in at 3,880 mm. It seats four and offers 305 litres of luggage space. Under the hood - or rather, under the floor - it gets a 70 kW electric motor, a top speed of 130 km/h, and a minimum range of 250 km. Not exactly groundbreaking, but it should be enough for daily commutes and urban runabouts. The ID. EVERY1 is part of VW’s broader EV push, guided by its “Future Volkswagen” strategy. The three-phase plan goes like this:
Advance: Strengthen competitiveness and expand the model range. Expect another sneak peek at the Electric Urban Car Family in late 2025.
Attack: Launch nine new models by 2027, including the ID. 2all (€25,000) and the ID. EVERY1 (€20,000).
Achieve: By 2030, Volkswagen aims to be the top high-volume brand in terms of technology, safety, and sales.
On paper, the ID. EVERY1 looks like a step in the right direction - compact, practical, and relatively cheap (for Europe). But in markets like South Africa, “affordable” EVs still feel like a distant dream. If VW can somehow bring these in at a price that makes sense locally, it could be a game-changer. Until then, I’ll be happily sticking with my Mk4 GTI, ta very much.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the world premier of the concept car that lives up to the Volkswagen name as it's an affordable EV concept that should be affordable to all of us regular folks without having to pull off a cahs-in-transit heist: Volkswagen World Premiere: The all-electric ID. EVERY1 | Volkswagen News
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