ID.3

Customers can now lease new vehicles online from Volkswagen in Germany. The all-electric ID.4 and ID.5 models from Volkswagen’s ID. family will initially be offered. They will be joined later by the ID.3. “This marks a key step in digitalizing our sales as part of our ACCELERATE strategy. We are one of the first major automotive manufacturers to offer complete online leasing of freely configurable vehicles,” said Klaus Zellmer, member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management responsible for Sales, Marketing and After Sales. The offering is also to be rolled out successively to other European countries.

Strong performance of the all-electric Volkswagen ID.3 after its first year in the European market: “The car is an absolute hit. It appeals to customers and has shot from zero to take top positions among new registrations in a large number of countries,” says Klaus Zellmer, Board Member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales at Volkswagen. By the end of September, the car had already been ordered around 144,000 times in Europe – 50 percent of buyers had not driven a Volkswagen before and were new to the brand, found a study commissioned by the company. “The ID.3 has tapped into an above-average number of new buyer groups for Volkswagen. Some 70,000 new customers are strong proof that we are exactly on the right track with this vehicle and our electric mobility strategy,” continues Zellmer.

Happy Birthday, ID. First Movers Club! Volkswagen has prepared a surprise for all ID. customers to mark the first birthday of its Facebook group: the ID. First Movers Club has opened up, just in time for the IAA MOBILITY in Munich. The group was previously reserved for early adopters of the ID.3 1st but will now be known as the ID. Drivers Club and all European ID. customers will be able to join up. What began in September 2020 as a digital meeting place for enthusiastic electromobility pioneers has developed into an active ID. community that is in a position to benefit from new momentum and additional experience.

Volkswagen is making rapid progress in digitalising its sales activities and developing new business models. Today sees the launch of the Volkswagen AutoAbo subscription model in Germany. Customers can take out a monthly subscription for the best-selling all-electric ID.3 and ID.4 models – the ID.3 costs from EUR 499. “This will enable us to achieve a key milestone in our Business Model 2.0. As part of our ACCELERATE strategy, we are continuing our rapid and systematic transformation from car manufacturer to mobility services provider,” explains Klaus Zellmer, Board Member for Sales and Marketing at Volkswagen. In addition, Volkswagen will be launching its online leasing and sales offerings in Germany toward the end of 2021. Initially, to sell models from the ID. family, but the platform will later be made available to dealers to offer combustion engine and hybrid vehicles as well.

What do the fully electric compact Volkswagen ID.3, the ID.4, which was recently singled out for the “2021 World Car of the Year” award, and the recently presented high-performance model ID.4 GTX have in common? They all have cutting-edge technology on board in the shape of the high-voltage battery system from Volkswagen Group Components in Braunschweig. This makes for strong performance, long range, excellent safety and rapid charging. The demand for attractive and affordable electric vehicles based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) is so high that the site recently expanded production to up to 500,000 batteries a year.

Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 models in Europe can now receive new functions and in-depth technical updates via W-LAN or mobile network.The customer's vehicle always remains at the cutting edge of digital developments with the so-called "Over-the-Air" updates. The software version ID.2.1, which establishes the technical prerequisites for "Over-the-Air" updates, is automatically included with all new ID. models produced since calendar week 8.

The Transparent Factory in Dresden began series production of the fully electric ID.3 today. This makes it the second production site for the ID.3 and already the fourth site in the world producing Volkswagen models based on the Modular Electric Drive Toolkit (MEB). At the same time, Volkswagen is opening a new chapter in the Saxon capital: Over the coming years, the former “Center of Future Mobility” will steadily transform into the “Home of the ID.”

With the new augmented reality head-up display, Volkswagen is merging the virtual and real worlds. The innovative system superimposes selected symbols onto the outside world and displays them dynamically. Volkswagen is the first car manufacturer in the world to introduce this technology in the compact segment, and is therefore making it affordable for many customers. The new convenience function will be introduced first in the all-electric ID.3 and ID.4 models.

“If you’re open-minded, you can have plenty of fun with an electric car like the ID.3,” Rainer Zietlow says. And he should know because Zietlow, originally from Mannheim, and his companion Dominic Brüner from Hannover spent 65 days travelling the length and breadth of Germany to test the long-distance capabilities of the new Volkswagen model as well as the charging infrastructure across Germany. Despite the restrictions in place due to the pandemic and after having covered 28,198 kilometres, the team reached its destination on Sylt today as scheduled, marking the end of the marathon test drive (www.ID3-deutschlandtour.com). In the process, the team also set the world record for the “longest continuous EV drive through a single country”.

The Volkswagen Group is making battery shipment for its ID.3 and ID.4 electric vehicles even more environmentally compatible and efficient. At the Zwickau plant today, the final link in a green logistics chain extending from Poland via Brunswick to the plant in Saxony was commissioned. This is a fully automated system for unloading batteries from incoming trains. The system will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by some 11,000 tonnes per year, corresponding to the CO₂ emissions of a medium-sized village with about 1,000 inhabitants. “With this green and efficient logistics chain, we are making a key contribution to reducing emissions within the Group and to the delivery of the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 with a neutral carbon balance,” says Thomas Zernechel, Head of Volkswagen Group Logistics.

How does a modern electric vehicle perform on long road trips? The record-setting driver from Mannheim, Rainer Zietlow, and his co-driver Dominic Brüner are now carrying out the road test on a two-month trip through Germany. They are testing the long-distance qualities of the new Volkswagen ID.3 as well as the country’s infrastructure on their marathon trip (www.id3-deutschlandtour.com). The two are driving a pre-production model of the ID.3 Pro S with a 77 kWh net battery capacity. The battery offers a range of up to 549 km in a WLTP cycle and will be brought to market in spring 2021. After more than 14,000 kilometres driven, the half-time scorecard paints a very positive picture: the maximum charging capacity of 125 kilowatts can be used from most of the more than 350 fast charging stations tested to date, offered by a variety of providers. Volkswagen’s We Charge payment system provides cross-brand access.

A dream start with five stars: In the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) safety test, the ID.31) achieved the highest score possible. The auditors gave the first model to be based on the new modular electric drive matrix (MEB) good ratings in all criteria – for the protection of adult occupants, children and vulnerable road users as well as for its safety assist systems.

From a German perspective, what is the best car in 2021? To find this out, 18 respected motoring journalists from across Germany meet once a year in Bad Dürkheim, a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. This year, the German Car of the Year jury voted in favour of Volkswagen in not one, but two categories: the Golf Mk 8 and the fully electric ID.3 each secured the title in their respective classes.

Electromobility is gaining ground in Germany. Not only the number of battery-driven electric models offered and their registrations are growing, infrastructure is expanding as well. The long-distant record-breaking driver from Mannheim, Rainer Zietlow, and his co-driver Dominic Brüner are now carrying out the ultimate road test. Over the course of a unique two-month marathon, they will be stopping at around 650 quick-charging stations with more than 60 kW charging capacity. They will be testing the long-distance qualities of the new Volkswagen ID.3 as well as the infrastructure in Germany. They are driving a pre-production model of the ID.3 Pro S with a 77kWh net battery energy capacity. The battery offers a range of up to 549 km in a WLTP cycle and will be brought to market in spring 2021.

The new Volkswagen ID.3 has set its first range record: The electric car covered the 531 kilometers from Zwickau to Schaffhausen (Switzerland) on a single charge. Officially, the model has a range of up to 420 kilometers (WLTP). This mark was topped by more than 100 kilometers – an increase of 26 percent. The vehicle was a series production ID.3 1st Pro Performance with a 58 kWh battery built at the Zwickau electric car factory. The route to Switzerland consisted entirely of public roads and highways, passing cities such as Bayreuth and Ulm. The record-breaking vehicle was driven by “hypermiler” Felix Egolf, a native of Switzerland. The term “hypermiling” originated in the USA and refers to driving a series production vehicle with techniques that maximize efficiency and minimize consumption.

Volkswagen is rolling out its own charging service to coincide with the market launch of the ID. family: With We Charge, customers will be able to charge their electric vehicles at over 150,000 public charging points all over Europe. The We Charge charging card gives them easy access to these charging points. Customers have a choice of three individual tariffs with features such as exclusive conditions for the IONITY high-power charging network. We Charge can be booked and used from mid-August. Volkswagen is thus rounding off its “charging ecosystem” that makes charging electric vehicles as convenient as possible.

Four weeks after the start of ordering for the limited ID.3 1ST for pre-bookers, Volkswagen is opening the ordering system to the public on July 20, 2020. Customers in many European countries will be able to choose from seven pre-configured ID.3 models at dealerships and to order the appropriate charging equipment at the same time. Buyers will benefit from attractive concessions for charging via WeCharge for up to 3 years. All seven ID.3 models will be eligible for the maximum state subsidy of €9,480 granted as an environmental bonus in Germany. Subsidies will also be available for the ID.3 in many other European countries.

Even in the coronavirus crisis, the Volkswagen brand is consistently moving ahead with the changeover of its plants to e-mobility in line with its plans. The conversion of the Emden plant has already started and the first electric cars are to roll off the production line there from 2022. Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, says: “With the conversion of our plant at Emden into a production location for electric vehicles, Volkswagen is forcing the pace of system change. All in all, the company will invest about €1 billion in the transformation of the factory. Emden will be developed into a cornerstone of our electric strategy.” Andreas Tostmann, Board Member responsible for Production and Logistics, said: “We are transforming Emden into one of the most advanced plants in our industry.” General Works Council Chairman Bernd Osterloh emphasized: “Our workforce in Emden has special ties with the plant. This has been confirmed by the recent personnel transfers. I am convinced that the Passat, Arteon and ID.4 will be a tremendous success for the team. This is a strong product mix for a strong location.”

The last model with a combustion engine left the assembly line today at the Zwickau car factory. The seventh generation Golf R Estate with 2.0-litre petrol engine in Oryx White Pearl Effect was produced for a customer in Germany. From today on, only electric models of Volkswagen and in future also of the sister brands Audi and Seat will be produced in Zwickau. The leap into the modern automobile age has been a long one: since 1904, cars with combustion engines have been built in Zwickau - initially for many years, including Horch models, and in GDR times the Trabant came off the assembly line here. In May 1990, Volkswagen started production at its plant in western Saxony. Over the course of the past 30 years, exactly 6,049,207 Volkswagen cars of the models Polo, Golf, Golf Estate, Passat Saloon and Passat Variant have been produced in Zwickau.

For selected employees at Volkswagen Sachsen, the e-mobility of tomorrow begins today: They will be testing the all-electric Volkswagen ID.3 for everyday usability over a period of several weeks – before delivery officially starts in early September. A total of 150 ID.3 built in Zwickau have been reserved for employees at the three plants in Saxony for everyday testing under real conditions to analyze anonymized data on the usage and driving behavior of the ID.3. Over the coming months, this will provide Volkswagen with a steady stream of additional information from hundreds of thousands of kilometers travelled.

Volkswagen has started sale of the ID. Charger for quick and easy home charging for electric vehicles. The wallbox can be ordered online or from Volkswagen dealers in eight European countries. The first boxes were delivered to customers recently. At an introductory price of €399, the ID. Charger offers an excellent price-performance ratio. It was developed with the ID.3 and the ID. family in mind, but can also be used to charge all other electric cars with a Type 2 connector. The new Volkswagen wallbox is part of a complete ID.3 package designed by Volkswagen to make the switch to an electric car as simple and convenient as possible.

The final timetable for the start of Volkswagen’s ID. family has been set: Binding orders for the 30,000 models making up the limited 1st Edition of the ID. 3 can be placed from June 17 in most European countries. As a token of thanks for their loyalty to the brand, Volkswagen is offering all pre-bookers wishing to take possession of their ID.3 1st as quickly as possible membership the 1st Mover Club. Delivery of the ID.3 1st to “First Movers” begins in early September.

The YouTube series “Becoming ID.” received the Gold award at the international Telly Awards in the “Branded Content - Campaign Branding” category. In addition to the cinematic implementation, the fact that the series offered an unusually intensive look behind the scenes of the history of the creation of the ID.3 and thus a completely new generation of vehicles was also recognized.

The Volkswagen brand dominated the Automotive Brand Contest 2020, securing a total of five awards in the automotive design segment. The ID.3, the all-electric model leading the brand into the future, was named “Best of Best” in no less than two categories. The new Golf and the ID. SPACE VIZZION concept car were also amongst this year’s award winners. The Automotive Brand Contest is the only independent, international design competition for automotive brands.

What might an electric vehicle such as Volkswagen’s new ID.3 look like in 30 years time? Will holograms replace controls inside the vehicle? Will the vehicle be driving around autonomously and how would the vehicle exterior have to be adapted to these demands? Today, on 27 April, World Design Day, Head of Volkswagen Group Design, Klaus Bischoff, will be launching a competition at Instagram @volkswagen_de. The task at hand: designing the ID.3 for 2050.

The Volkswagen plant in Zwickau is gradually restarting production of electric cars. Production of the all-electric ID.3 resumes today (Thursday), initially with reduced capacity and significantly slower cycle times. Numerous additional measures to protect the health of the workforce are being implemented, and the restart is also oriented to the gradual stabilization of international supply chains. “We all have a historic task to accomplish. That task is to protect the health of our employees - and at the same time get business back on track responsibly”, said Thomas Ulbrich, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for E-Mobility and Speaker of the Management Board of Volkswagen Sachsen.

With the market introduction of the ID.3 this summer, Volkswagen will make e-mobility affordable for many people. The basic version of the ID.3 will be less expensive in Germany in terms of acquisition and operation than comparable internal combustion models. As regards operating expenses alone, ID.3 drivers in Germany will save about €840 per year. “With the ID.3, the electric car will finally become affordable. This model is entirely fit for everyday use and even costs less than an internal combustion model thanks to the environmental bonus,” says Thomas Ulbrich, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand responsible for E-Mobility. Currently, preparations for the delivery of the ID.3 are well underway. “The time schedule will be met,” Ulbrich confirms. ”The ID.3 will be introduced to the market in the summer, as announced.”

The ID. CROZZ showcar evolves into its series production version, the ID.4: Volkswagen is forging ahead with its electric mobility strategy by providing a detailed insight into the brand’s first all-electric SUV during a webcast following the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show. The new ID.4 will be launched this year. Following in the tracks of the ID.3, the countdown has already begun for the second model based on the new modular electric drive matrix (MEB). “Just like the ID.3, the ID.4 will also come onto the market as a carbon-neutral vehicle”, explains Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer of the Volkswagen brand. “We will produce and sell the ID.4 in Europe, China and the U.S..”

Volkswagen and “Volkswagen und Audi Partnerverband” (Volkswagen and Audi partner association) have agreed a new sales model for the all-electric ID. family in Germany. A format similar to the agency model for major customers that has already proven its worth over many years will also apply for ID. models sold to private customers and small commercial enterprises. Following the go-ahead from retail partners, the agency agreement is to be added to the new dealer contracts that come into effect from April.

Volkswagen’s electric offensive is picking up speed: Today saw the official start of series production of the ID.3. The first car in the new generation of electric vehicles (EVs) – a white ID.3 – rolled off the assembly line watched by Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and Group CEO Dr. Herbert Diess. The Volkswagen Group plans to sell some 22 million EVs worldwide by 2028, thus helping EVs make the breakthrough. Zwickau has a key role to play in this endeavor: For the first time, a large car manufacturing plant is being entirely converted to e-mobility, with investments running at €1.2 billion. Zwickau is already scheduled to produce some 100,000 electric models next year. From 2021, up to 330,000 EVs will leave the assembly line each year, making the site the largest and most efficient EV factory in Europe and a trailblazer in the transformation of Volkswagen’s global production network.

The Volkswagen brand is boosting its e-mobility offensive in China. Next year, about 300,000 electrified models are already to be handed over to customers. The figure will then reach about one million by 2025. By 2023, the Volkswagen brand will offer 10 models based on the MEB modular electric drive toolkit on the Chinese market. In Guangzhou, the SUV study ID.Next, already on show at the IAA, gave a glimpse of the first model in the ID. family for China. Production of this model is to start at the end of 2020. The ID.3 will then be produced by SAIC VOLKSWAGEN at the new plant in Anting. This way, Volkswagen is also making its corporate goal clear in China: the brand is on its way to mobility with a net neutral carbon balance.

The future is rarely as tangible as at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt: the new ID.3 from Volkswagen – the first fully electric production car of the all-new ID. family. Its base price will be less than €30,000. The ID.3 has the potential to usher in a new era of large-scale electric mobility production. “The ID.3 is the world’s first electric car with a CO₂-neutral footprint. Consequently, it is making its mark: for innovative technology, for the freedom of individual mobility and for climate protection”, Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand, explained at IAA today.

Volkswagen presents the pioneering ID.3 on the evening before the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. This vehicle is the symbol of a new era for the brand. The ID.3 extends the Volkswagen offering as the first model of a completely new generation of pure electric vehicles – featuring zero local emissions, outstanding efficiency, and full connectivity. At the same time, the ID.3 reflects the realignment of the Volkswagen brand, and is also the first model with the new Volkswagen logo.

Just before the beginning of the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Volkswagen has already received more than 30,000 reservations for the ID.3. Most of the pre-bookers live in Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. More than 100,000 further ID. fans have registered for the ID.3 newsletter which Volkswagen is using to present regular information on its new full-electric ID. family as well as topics connected with e-mobility. Volkswagen is showing the ID.3 as a world premiere at the IAA next week.

Pre-series production of the ID.3 has already begun at the Volkswagen plant in Zwickau. The core components for electric cars are developed and produced for the new electric vehicles at the Volkswagen Group Components plants: the electric drive comes from Kassel, the Salzgitter plant supplies its colleagues in Hessen with rotors and stators. The Brunswick plant develops and produces the battery system, further sites deliver castings and other parts.

Shortly before the market launch of its full-electric car sharing service WeShare in Berlin at the end of June, Volkswagen has concluded a strategic partnership with the Lidl and Kaufland supermarket chains, which are owned by the Schwarz Group. The food retailers are to install 140 public charging stations for the electric vehicles of their customers at 60 Lidl and 10 Kaufland branches in the German capital. Volkswagen is to receive the exclusive right to use the new infrastructure for charging its WeShare fleet overnight outside opening hours, which will make the utilization of the charging stations more efficient. The additional charging points at Lidl and Kaufland outlets will boost the public charging infrastructure in Berlin by almost 20 percent.

At a press event held yesterday in Berlin, Volkswagen launched pre-booking in Europe for the first model in its new full-electric ID. model family, the ID.3. Customers’ interest in the special edition, the ID.3 1ST, which is limited to 30,000 vehicles, is significantly exceeding the brand’s expectations. Sometimes, the IT systems are unable to handle the large number of users accessing the system at the same time. This leads to long waiting times and interruptions in the registration process in some markets. Volkswagen is working hard to eliminate the hitches. Nevertheless, more than 10,000 registrations were received throughout Europe during the first 24 hours.

Volkswagen is today starting pre-booking in Europe for the first model in its new full-electric ID. family, the ID.3. With immediate effect, potential customers can register for an early production slot for the ID.3 at www.volkswagen.com/id-prebooking by paying a registration deposit of €1,000. The ID.3 1ST special edition, which has been especially configured for pre-booking, includes high-quality, high-performance equipment and is limited to 30,000 vehicles. Volkswagen is equipping the ID.3 1ST with the medium-sized battery option later available for the ID.3 series, which is expected to be most popular. With the three series battery options, ranges between 330 and up to 550 kilometers in accordance with WLTP will be possible. The pre-booking special edition has a range of 420 km (WLTP). While the base recommended price of the ID.3 series model with the smallest battery version starts at under €30,000 in Germany (target price), the exclusive ID.3 1ST special edition will be available for less than €40,000, before the deduction of the state subsidy in each case.

Months before its official world premiere at the IAA international motor show, the next milestone has already been reached: Today, Volkswagen is officially announcing the name of the first model of the new ID. family. It will be called ID.3. The number 3 is significant in two ways. On the one hand, it indicates the ID. as belonging to the compact segment, which is the class distinction in both internal and industry-wide classification systems. On the other, the ID.3 follows the Beetle and the Golf to introduce the third major chapter of strategic importance for the history of the brand.