Volkswagen ID 3: vital EV revealed with up to 341-mile range

VW design boss Klaus Bischoff said: “The car has unique proportions due to the under-floor battery. With the drive axle at the back, we can have a long wheelbase and short overhangs, with 710mm wheel dimensions – the same as the ID show car. 

“We kept the bodystyle from the concept, and the surfaces are very similar to the show car. We’ve kept it simple and only used a few clear lines.” 

At the rear, there is a large spoiler, required for aerodynamic efficiency. The black roof and rear section made of glossy black plastic seen in these pictures will be standard across all ID 3s. 

VW claims the rear-wheel-drive ID 3 will have “intuitive handling” and “phenomenal performance”, the latter thanks to the even weight distribution of the MEB set-up, according to the maker. Early signs are promising: in a recent camouflaged drive of the ID 3, Autocar said the car has the “measured, natural responsiveness in everything it does that so often marks out a VW, and that makes for such easy, top-level drivability”. 

The ID 3 will be offered in three battery sizes with two power outputs from its rear-mounted electric motor: a 45kWh battery with claimed range of 205 miles and 148bhp, and 58kWh and 77kWh batteries both with 201bhp, delivering 260 and 341 miles of range respectively. 

Full specifications have yet to be revealed but all variants will deliver 229lb ft of torque, while the entry- and mid-level ID 3s will have a top speed of 99mph. 

A charging capacity of 100kW will be available on the mid-range ID 3, with a promised charging time of 30 minutes for 155 miles of range. The smaller-battery ID 3 will offer 50kW, but with an optional 100kW. The top-range ID 3 will be capable of charging at 125kW.

VW is guaranteeing the battery for eight years or 160,000km. 

The interior is pared back compared with today’s VW models. Bischoff said: “We’ve also made an internal revolution, with a new design that’s extra-simple and clear. We’ve added value by increasing the amount of space, making it airy and open.” 

The dashboard is clear other than a 10in protruding central screen as standard, on which systems such as navigation will receive over-the-air updates.

There is an optional augmented reality head-up display, which projects relevant information onto the windscreen. All controls – including those on the electrically adjustable multifunction steering wheel – are operated using touch-sensitive buttons. The only conventional buttons are for electric windows and hazard warning lights. 

VW promises next-generation ‘natural’ voice control on the ID 3. For example, an occupant could say “Hello ID, I’m cold” and, in response, the system would increase the in-car temperature. 

There will not be traditional VW trim levels, given the maker’s desire to keep the line-up as simple as possible. This is presumably an attempt not to complicate matters for customers, many of whom will be buying an electric car for the first time. However, four option packs are expected to be offered for the UK market. 

The ID 3 will launch with the 1st edition, powered by a mid-range 58kWh battery. The allocation, unspecified by VW, has already been filled in the UK. VW did say it had achieved its target of 35,000 pre-orders worldwide. The standard ID 3 order books will open next year, with deliveries in autumn. 

Priced from around £27,500 before the £3500 government subsidy, the entry-level ID 3 costs on a par with a mid-range 1.6-litre TDI Golf GT when taking the grant into account. Pricing is expected to rise to around £35,000 for the ID 3 1st edition. 

The ID 3 is the first carbon-neutral model made by VW, according to the maker. It said all elements of manufacture and distribution will be powered by renewable sources or compensated by certified climate projects. The model will be produced at VW’s Zwickau plant in Germany, which is set to produce 330,000 electric cars annually from 2021. 

Q&A with Christine Leuderalbert, ID 3 product manager

Could VW increase or decrease the range offered by these three batteries? 

“I [personally] only need 60km of range today. We will have to see how the market reacts. We predict the middle battery size will be the most popular.” 

When will we see an ID 3 GTI? 

“We are definitely thinking about this. We won’t have the same line-up as Golf. We are trying to keep it simple. But obviously we are thinking of performance versions of ID cars, especially in higher ID models where you get four-wheel drive – that would be a lot of fun.” 

When do you expect there be volume parity with the Golf? 

“The Golf is still at the fore of the brand. ID 3 is the little brother able to go out and explore and be the cooler [sibling]! I can’t say when it will reach parity.”