Volkswagen's new lineup of small and affordable electric cars has received over 70,000 orders, exceeding expectations. The German automaker said that it had received over 70,000 orders for its entry-level EVs, including the Volkswagen ID. Polo, Skoda Epiq, and Cupra Raval, a result that’s “significantly exceeding expectations.”
It’s quite the impressive feat, considering all of these models debuted roughly three months ago, and it goes to show that offering a competent and affordable EV—albeit of subcompact size—will attract the right buyers. The ID. Polo hatchback got roughly 25,000 orders, according to the German car group, with the rest split between the Skoda Epiq and Cupra Raval.
View Price on AmazonAll the models in the new Electric Urban Car Family feature plenty of physical controls, two screens, and vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality. However, the order intake is bound to grow even larger, now that the fourth and final piece of the company’s Electric Urban Car Family, the Volkswagen ID. Cross, is available in Europe. Crossover lovers can choose between the Volkswagen ID. Cross or the Skoda Epiq, while the Volkswagen ID. Polo and Cupra Raval cater to customers who prefer a more conventional hatchback look.
Styling choices aside, they’re all similar under the skin, with a 32-kilowatt-hour lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack enabling approximately 110 miles of range on the entry-level trims. A larger-capacity, 52 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) pack is also available across the board, upping the range to roughly 175 miles on a full charge. All four models are front-wheel drive, with power ranging between 114 and 222 horsepower.
Charging is also decent for the money and segment: the LFP pack can take up to 90 kilowatts for a 10-to-80% top-up in around 27 minutes, while the larger NMC battery accepts up to 105 kW and can charge from 10-to-80% in 24 minutes.
Pricing starts from approximately $30,000 (including VAT) for the hatchbacks, putting VW’s offerings in direct competition with the wildly popular Renault 5, as well as the increasing number of Chinese-made offerings in Europe.
All of these EVs are similar in size to the American-made Chevrolet Bolt, so they're not exactly cross-country family haulers. That said, they could be the right choice for city dwellers who also occasionally take short road trips.
Source: insideevs.com
