Volkswagen unveils ID.LIFE concept car that will cost around €20k

Volkswagen is tackling the cost barrier associated with EV ownership with the release of the ID.LIFE, its cheapest electric vehicle to date.

The manufacturer is planning to release its new “family model” small electric vehicle by 2025, two years earlier than originally planned, as part of its ‘accelerate’ strategy for EVs.

The ID. LIFE concept car, which was presented at the International Motor Show IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, will be available for around 20,000 euros, VW has confirmed. At around £17,150, the ID.LIFE would be the cheapest mainstream electric vehicle available in tne UK today.

The ID. LIFE is based on a smaller variant of Volkswagen’s modular electric drive matrix (MEB) that has been developed specifically for the small car segment. This is the first time a vehicle based on the MEB has front-wheel drive. With its 172 kW (234 PS) electric motor, the ID. LIFE accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, while its 57 kWh high-voltage battery enables a range of some 248 miles (WLTP).

Thomas Ulbrich, member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management for Development, said: “The ID. LIFE proves once again how uniquely flexible the MEB is. The platform is suitable for vehicles of all types, from small cars to vans.

“It’s the most scalable electrical architecture in the industry. We’re just beginning to tap into the potential of MEB. Performance, charging capacity and range will continue to improve with each new model and software update.”

With its entry-level price of around 20,000 euros, Volkswagen is taking an important step of increasing the share of all-electric models in total vehicle sales in Europe to at least 70% and in North America and China to at least 50%.

Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, commented: “The ID. LIFE is our vision of next-generation fully electric urban mobility. The concept car provides a preview of an ID. model in the small car segment that we will be launching in 2025, priced at around 20,000 euros. This means we are making electric mobility accessible to even more people.

“In creating the ID. LIFE, we have consistently focused on the needs of younger customers. We believe that, even more so than today, the car of the future will be about lifestyle and personal expression. The customer of tomorrow won’t simply want to get from A to B; they will be much more interested in the experiences that a car can offer. The ID. LIFE is our answer to this.”