Volkswagen’s ID2all concept car, which came out earlier this year, is a preview of one of the company’s most important cars in years. Insiders characterize the production version of the ID2 as an electric version of the Polo-sized sub-Golf. The production version of the ID2 will also offer a new EV platform that is lighter and more affordable than previous ones. Sales of the production version of the ID2 will begin in Europe at the beginning of 2026. It was developed to provide support for several forthcoming compact Volkswagen EVs, one of which being a new electric Golf GTI. Wolfsburg sources say we have yet to see the final product. However, the ID2 is expected to change the core values of the Volkswagen brand for the twenty-first century, much like the original Golf did when it freed the company from the constraints of the Beetle almost fifty years ago. The ID2 will be built on the MEB 21 front-drive electric vehicle architecture, which is an updated version of the MEB architecture that serves the current ID series. At the start, there will be 58 and 38-kWh battery packs. Since its target weight is between 3300 and 3500 pounds, its WLTP test cycle range should be between 280 and 200 miles. This is about 500 pounds less than the cheapest MEB car, the single-motor ID3, and about 1200 pounds less than a single-motor ID4. The GTI will have 265 horsepower, but the base model’s electric engine will only have 223 horsepower. The battery pack for the MEB 21 is located between the wheels and under the floor, just like it is for the MEB. When compared to single-motor MEB models, which are rear-drive and have the e-motor in the back, the e-motor, inverter, and other powertrain components in the MEB 21 are all packed up front under the hood. This configuration is analogous to the powertrain and gearbox seen in front-drive internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Even though MEB 21 sounds a little old-fashioned, it will change the game. The two-box and three-box sizes that many customers want are made possible by putting the boxes in the same order as the ICE engine. This goes against the trend of making the glass parts of other EVs bigger and bigger. It also keeps the car cooler inside when hot, so the temperature control system uses less battery power. Because there are no components of the drivetrain below the rear axle, the ID2 has a large amount of cargo space in the back, including a prominent location under the floor that is referred to as “the cellar” by spies. When the engine parts are close together, less copper wire is needed, which helps save money and reduce weight. Most importantly, unlike the MEB, the MEB 21 only needs a whole new assembly line. Volkswagen has spent billions building specialized MEB manufacturing facilities. Still, MEB 21 can be made cheaply in factories that already make internal combustion engine Volkswagens based on the incredibly flexible front-drive, transverse engine MQB architecture, such as the Golf GTI hatchback and Jetta sedan, as well as the Tiguan and Atlas SUVs. MEB 21 can also do many things. The wheelbase will grow by 2.4 inches to fit an electric car about the size of a Golf currently being made and by 4.8 inches to provide a small electric SUV. By adding 1.2 inches to the length of the track, these cars can have the same heavy, broad-shouldered look as the ID2. Because of how the MEB 21 is built, expanding the wheelbase to fit a Golf EV would only increase the total weight by 220 pounds. Because of this, you won’t need bigger battery packs than the ID2 to get a good range. MEB 21 will also work with the tiny Volkswagen EVs that race your heart. For the Golf-sized car, engineers have made plans for a GTI with a 320-hp version of the new APP550 e-motor found in the ID7 electric sedan. This motor drives the front wheels through an electrically controlled limited-slip differential. In addition to the 265-hp GTI model, ID2 is already working on an all-wheel-drive GTX. The ID2 is a clear admission by Herbert Diess, the former CEO of Volkswagen, that his plan for electric vehicles (EVs) did not work as well as he had hoped. MEB Volkswagens are too big, too expensive, and too heavy. Except for the ID Buzz, they need the beautifully sculpted exteriors and polished interiors that made Volkswagens from the Polo to the Phaeton to stand out during the Piech era. They also need to be packed better. MEB 21 doesn’t take the place of MEB. Volkswagen has put too much money into MEB, but it will still be needed for EVs bigger than a Golf or Tiguan. Most of the current ID models’ ugly exteriors and cheap interiors will be refined and upgraded to fit the design language of the new ID2, and MEB’s performance and usefulness will continue to be significantly improved, as shown by our drive of the ID7. The ID2 is meant to be Volkswagen’s best car in design, performance, and value for money. Its goal price is less than $26,000. It could be the Golf of the electric age, and since the average cost of EVs and all cars in the U.S. is going up, I’m sure that the price alone would attract enough Americans to make it worth selling in the U.S.
