Also has a mid-size sedan and station wagon in the works.
The future for Volkswagen is electric and involves a host of different models, not just the more recently publicized bunch that includes a hatchback (thought to be called the I.D. Neo), the I.D. Crozz, the I.D. Buzz, and the I.D. Vizzion. Word is, a super-affordable subcompact crossover is also in the works, as well as a mid-size sedan and station wagon. How super-affordable? How does $21,000 (18,000 euros) sound? That could go some way toward helping the company live up to its recently adopted “Electric For All!” campaign slogan.
Before we start popping bottles, a word of caution: this is neither an official announcement or a done deal, though we expect those hurdles will be cleared. Also, it’s quite likely we’re not talking about a sub-compact with the 258-mile range of the 64-kWh Hyundai Kona Electric (another sub-compact crossover), so adjust your expectations accordingly.
If all works out, production of this all-electric would happen at the company’s Emden plant. That’s one of the two we were telling you about a couple days ago. Located in the north of the country, on the border with the Netherlands, the facility now pumps out the Passat. To successfully make the transition to an electric vehicle plant, the automaker has to get the union on board. To do that, it will have to offer enough jobs to make up for those lost.
Though VW has targeted about 200,000 units per year of this more affordable crossover to be built, there will still be some additional capacity. So, to help keep too many hands from being idle, another vehicle is being mulled for the location — a mid-size all-electric called the I.D. Aero, which might be made in both sedan and station wagon configurations. You may remember we brought you news of this model a couple summers ago, though back then we understood it to be a coupe.
We expect a little more clarity into the situation after a meeting of the automaker’s supervisory board, scheduled for the 16th of this month. That body is comprised of 40 members and includes union representatives who, we understand, can “block decisions.”
Source: Bloomberg
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