This week brought good news for any consumers hoping to get their hands on a Volkswagen EV, but for a more affordable price. Earlier this week, the automaker confirmed plans to launch a cheaper version of the ID.4 electric crossover, which will be assembled at VW’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory.
Currently, the ID.4 here in North America boasts an 82-kWh battery pack with an estimated 442-km range. In Europe, VW offers a 55-kwh battery version of the ID.4, with a WLTP rating of 346 km. The new, lower-capacity version of the ID.4 crossover will reportedly introduce a 62-kWh battery pack option with 58 kWh of usable capacity.
As for pricing, the automaker has yet to confirm specifics. However, VW did confirm that the 62-kWh version will be priced lower than other ID.4 models. Since the least expensive ID.4 starts at $44,995 here in Canada, this promise begs the question — how low will the price go?
“More details regarding the locally produced MY23 ID 4 EV will be announced soon,” Volkswagen said in a statement.
This new ID.4 will join the rest of VW’s anticipated lineup, including the ID.Buzz, which isn’t expected to reach U.S. dealerships until 2024. As of May 2022, VW was effectively ‘sold out’ of electric vehicles in Europe and in North America, and has been ranked as the second-largest supplier of EVs by volume in the world, right behind Tesla.