The first Volkswagen ID. Polo and Cupra Raval models rolled off the production line at the Group’s Martorell plant in Spain, the first of several new affordable, mass-market EVs.
Volkswagen ID. Polo, Cupra Raval EVs enter production
Volkswagen opened orders for the new ID. Polo in April, the electric version of one of the brand’s all-time best-selling models, and the Cupra Raval, a sporty low-cost EV hatch.
Starting at €24,995 ($29,000) and €26,000 ($30,100), the ID. Polo and Cupra Raval are the first models from the Group’s Electric Urban Car Family.
Led by Seat & Cupra, the new entry-level lineup consists of “compelling entry-level cars that are affordable for many,” according to Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume, while still offering “space and top technology customers know from higher segments.”
After the first models rolled off the production line on Wednesday, Blume said the company is “stepping up the pace of electrification in Europe.”
With Chinese brands like BYD quickly gaining market share, Volkswagen’s CEO stressed that it’s now critical for “a clear Made-in-Europe strategy that ensures a level playing field and strengthens Europe’s industrial base.”
Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer explained that the Electric Urban Car Family demonstrates how the Group can pool resources to “deliver electric mobility at scale.”
Built on the shared MEB+ platform, the new entry-level series reduces costs while enabling different, unique models.
“The success of SEAT & CUPRA in leading a cross-brand project for the first time demonstrates the strength of our model: a shared platform that enhances competitiveness in the entry-level segment, delivering €600 million in cost savings,” Schäfer said.
The ID. Polo is the first “true Volkswagen,” as the company calls it, bringing a new look, modern tech, and a compact yet spacious interior at an entry-level price.
It will be available with two battery pack options: a 37 kWh LFP pack or a 52 kWh NMC pack, offering a WLTP driving range of up to 454 km (282 miles).
Built on the same platform, the Cupra Raval will be available in three variants, offering a range of around 450 km.
It will be “the most radical version of the urban EV” so far, with 3D-knitted CUP Bucket seats, dynamic light projections in the door panels, and more.
On Friday, Volkswagen brand design boss Stepan Rehak shared photos of the production ID. Polo (shown above) as it hits the streets for the first time.
In a social media post, Rehak said, “A special milestone: three years after presenting the ID. 2all concept, we are now driving the new ID. Polo for the first time. From first idea to real experience.”
With the ID. Polo and Cupra Raval now in production at the Martorell plant in Spain, the first customer deliveries are scheduled to begin later this summer and into the fall.
Following the ID. Polo and Cupra Raval, Volkswagen will introduce new members to the Electric Urban Car Family, including the ID. Cross, an electric version of the T-Cross, later this year.
According to Volkswagen, the ID. Cross will start at around €28,000 ($32,500). It will sit below the ID.4 in VW’s expanding EV lineup.
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