Volkswagen has given a production update on the ID.3, its first electric car based on the new MEB platform, and it confirmed that volume production is going to start in November.
We are going to finally see the production version of the ID.3 at the Frankfurt Auto show next week.
The vehicle is a long-range electric hatchback, which happens to be a popular form factor, and it will be relatively affordable.
VW plans to make it affordable by building it at high volume.
They are converting their Zwickau factory to solely produce MEB platform electric vehicles – starting with the ID.3.
In just a few years, VW plans to change the entire production capacity of 300,000 gasoline cars per year to 330,000 electric vehicles.
That’s one of the most ambitious electric vehicle production plans from a legacy automaker.
Today, Volkswagen said that they are on schedule to start production in November.
Thomas Ulbrich, Member of the Volkswagen brand Board of Management responsible for E-Mobility, said that they already produced the first 400 units and they are now testing them to make sure everything is ready for the start of volume production:
“The production start of the ID.3 in November will usher in an entirely new era for Volkswagen – comparable with the first Beetle or the first Golf. Our conversion work is proceeding entirely to schedule. The first 400 pre-series ID.3 vehicles are already on test routes throughout Europe. With the ID.3, Zwickau will become a genuine pioneer of e-mobility,”
The ID.3 is expected to quickly make it into the hands of customers.
However, in today’s press release about the start of production in November, VW is talking about the first deliveries happening in the “summer of 2020”:
“The ID.3 is being presented to a global public for the first time at the 2019 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. The delivery of the first vehicles is planned for the summer of 2020. Initially, vehicles will be delivered to the customers who already reserved an early production slot for the first edition of the ID.3 during the pre-booking campaign. More than 30,000 reservations have already been received.”
This doesn’t make much sense since it would be almost a full year after the start of production.
We reached out to VW for clarification and we will update if we get an answer.
Electrek’s Take
Hopefully, now people will stop about the whole “VW is all about press releases when it comes to electric vehicles” after they finally unveil the production version and start actual volume production.
Though I am a little concerned about the whole “summer of 2020” thing.
I am almost sure it’s a mistake, but it could also be something like the first deliveries for new orders since VW claims to have 30,000 reservations for the ID.3.
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.