Volkswagen unveils the ID.2all, a concept that looks like the Golf
Automakers are racing against time. They must succeed in producing a sufficient number of electric vehicles to supply countries around the world that will only require the sale of clean vehicles. Increasingly established in the global automotive market, these vehicles are however not suitable for every driver. Price being the main obstacle, manufacturers are trying to find ways to reduce the cost of acquisition. Volkswagen unveiled the ID.2all, a concept car that gives the first glimpse of what the brand’s next front-wheel drive cars will look like. The production vehicle will sell for a starting price hovering around $32,000 Canadian, but it will only be reserved for Europe for now.
A new platform, the power of a GTI
To achieve a lower price, Volkswagen used the platform MEB Entry. Compared to the MEB platform on which the Volkswagen ID.4 is based, the MEB Entry will be the basis of the group’s electric traction models. This means that the car produced under the inspiration of the ID.2all concept will be the manufacturer’s first electric car with traction, after the e-Golf.
Using this platform makes the ID.2all 234 millimeters shorter than the current Volkswagen Golf. The concept electric car therefore has a length of 4,050 millimeters, a width of 1,812 millimeters and a height of 1,530 millimeters; it has a wheelbase of 2,600 millimeters, a few millimeters less than that of the Golf.
To power this car of the subcompact type, Volkswagen has chosen an engine that produces 166 kilowatts (about 222 horsepower). This power is awfully close to the 241 horsepower that the Golf GTI of 8e generation delivers. According to Volkswagen, the ID.2all would be able to perform the 0 to 100 km/h in less than 7 seconds. Power is one thing, autonomy is another. Volkswagen specifies that the autonomy of the small concept car would reach 450 kilometers, according to the WLTP test cycle. The battery capacity is not known at the time of this writing, but the German manufacturer says that the battery will be able to be charged from 10 to 80% in 20 minutes in a direct current (DC) charging station.
A familiar look
At first glance, the design of Volkswagen’s front-drive concept vehicle looks a lot like the electric evolution of the Golf. However, there is nothing to confirm that this is indeed the case. Volkswagen merely explains that the ID.2all offers a glimpse of the company’s new design language. According to Design boss Andreas Mindt, this language is “based on the three pillars of stability, likability and excitement”.
Volkswagen has worked on structural elements specific to its history, including the famous C-pillar at the rear of the vehicle which has helped to give the Golf its notoriety of pleasure behind the wheel. In the case of the ID.2all, the C-pillar has been incorporated further into the vehicle, now forming an integral part of the car’s side panel. Still according to Andreas Mindt, this structural improvement will give a stable and well anchored character on the road to the production vehicle which will result from the ID.2all concept.
The 20-inch wheels, the huge LED light bar up front and the vehicle’s hatchback-like build are also elements raised by Volkswagen’s Design boss to express a powerful stance on the road. Note that the concept is awfully close to a pre-production car, but that the manufacturer still claims that this car is a concept carrying the future of the group.
Small, but big inside
Imelda Labbé, Marketing Manager at Volkswagen, said that the MEB Entry platform will allow the manufacturer to offer more cargo space in the group’s future vehicles. Comparing the ID.2all with the Golf, the new MEB Entry platform actually offers more space inside. The trunk offers 490 liters of loading when the seat backs are raised, 74 liters less than a Golf 8e generation. However, once the seatbacks are lowered, the cargo space increases to 1,330 litres, which is 353 liters more than a Golf. In addition, the ID.2all is equipped with several additional storage compartments. One is in the trunk of the vehicle, the other, with a capacity of 50 liters, under the rear seat.
Of course, a host of technologies can be found in the cabin, starting with the two screens in front of the driver. A first, 10.9 inches, acts as a digital dashboard displaying essential driving data. The second, 12.9 inches, is mainly used for entertainment and navigation. The vehicle may also be equipped with a head-up display, an inductive phone charger and electric seats with optional massage function, to name a few. We will have to see the official production vehicle before we can say if its elements will actually be added.
To conclude, the ID.2all is not expected on the North American market. Volkswagen has hinted that this car, destined for Europe, will most likely be offered from 2025.
