√Volkswagen ID.2 electric city car coming to Australia

The upcoming circa-$40,000 electric car from German giant Volkswagen is in line for launch in Australia. But when?

Volkswagen’s upcoming entry-level electric vehicle – the Volkswagen ID.2 city hatch, with a targeted price in Europe lower than $AU40,000 – is on the road to Australian showrooms.

However it remains to be seen how long it will take to come to Australia after its European launch in 2025 – and if the wait will be as long as the three-year delay faced by the ID.4 and ID.5 SUV siblings.

The ID.2 is the size of a Volkswagen Polo city hatch – but claims the interior space of a Golf – and is planned to cost less than €25,000 ($AU42,000) in Europe, using a dedicated, front-wheel-drive electric-car platform.

During a media conference this week, Volkswagen Australia executives showed a new-model launch roadmap listing the ID.2 as in its plans “beyond 2024”.

When asked if the vehicle has been locked in – or it remains on the company’s wish list, and confirmation of an Australian launch a work in progress – VW Australia passenger-vehicles director Michal Szaniecki told media:

“Definitely, we will have it. It’s just a matter of when.”

With some exceptions in recent years, petrol-powered Volkswagen models typically arrive in Australia within 18 months of their global unveilings.

However it has taken longer for the ID electric-car range – more than three years for the ID.4 – to come here as Europe was given priority access to the vehicles due to Australia’s lack of strict emissions rules to comply with.

Given Australia is now in the queue for VW electric cars – and is due to introduce the ID. Buzz and ID.3 as well as the ID.4 and ID.5 – the wait is unlikely to be as long for the ID.2.

If the European price is applied in Australia, the ID.2 would rival a wave of new Chinese electric cars including the MG 4 ($38,990 plus on-road costs) and BYD Dolphin ($38,890 plus on-road costs).

It is underpinned by a new MEB Entry electric-car platform – which is front-wheel drive, rather than the rear-wheel drive of the ID.3 and ID.4 – and is expected to produce up to 166kW in a GTI version due in Europe in 2027.

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