Volkswagen unveiled the ID.3 electric hatch at the Frankfurt motor show this week, kicking off its new sub-brand of electric cars. The hatch, about the size of a Golf, has received over 30,000 deposits and will begin being delivered to customers in 2020, ahead of the launch of other MEB platform electric cars in Volkswagen's pipeline.
VW will offer the ID.3 hatch in three battery options, good for 205, 261 and 342 miles, respectively, as rated in the somewhat rosy WLTP cycle. The short-range version with a 205-mile range will debut under 30,000 euros when it goes on sale on its home continent, which translates to about $33,200. VW had indicated that the launch edition ID.3, for which it began accepting deposits earlier this year, will be priced under 40,000 euros -- this will be the midrange version with 261 miles of range -- and it will have a more luxurious interior. So far Wolfsburg has not indicated how much the long-range model will cost, but we'd guess it will be about 45,000 euros, or just shy of $50,000. So there's a lot to like on paper, especially at the bottom of the price range -- even the 205-mile ID.3 hatch appears to be a serious competitor to the Nissan Leaf.
But Volkswagen won't bring the ID.3 to the States. The reasons for this are mostly boring, business-related ones, but they boil down to hatchbacks no longer being a popular bodystyle in the U.S., unlike in Europe -- especially premium-priced hatchbacks. The Leaf and the Bolt haven't quite set the EV market on fire as expected, even though their sales remain steady, likely giving Volkswagen pause regarding fielding yet another electric hatchback. The first ID-branded EV that America will receive, on the other hand, will be a crossover in the form of the production version of the ID Crozz that will land here in 2021. That's stil a long ways away, but VW is betting that crossovers will still be popular here in a couple of years -- a safe bet, at that -- and that Americans will prefer them to a Golf-size hatchback. The ID Crozz is also expected to offer greater range than the ID.3.
But should Volkswagen bring the ID.3 to America despite all these factors? We still remember a time when hatchbacks were Volkswagen's bread and butter in the U.S., and when the Golf played a prominent role in that segment. The automaker may be able to avoid the hatchback segment in the U.S. for a little while, but when the ID range grows to five vehicles and more EVs are on the roads, it may be difficult to not offer a small, urban electric car that's not a crossover, SUV or MPV. Americans live in cities, too.
Should Volkswagen bring the ID.3 to the U.S.?
Let us know in the comments below.
