2026 Volkswagen ID.2

Despite many promises from major automakers through the years, the number of truly affordable electric vehicles - especially in the United States - remains low. The Volkswagen ID. 2all concept was revealed recently and could change this picture. As a precursor to an electric hatch, the German marque says it's targeting a starting price of 25,000 euros (which is around $26k at current rates) when a production model goes on sale in Europe.

The ID. 2all name, which does a wonderful impression of a typo, is the concept behind VW's ID. 2 - but the name still suggests a car that is accessible to everyone. We think an electric hatch like this would do really well in the USA, but it hasn't been confirmed whether the small EV is US-bound. We can't help but be excited about the prospect of a car that promises Golf-like spaciousness at lower-than-Golf prices. The ID. 2 nomenclature may replace the Golf nameplate in the future, so it's possible that we're looking at the precursor to the electrified version of the iconic hatch. Here's what we know thus far.

The release date for the Volkswagen ID. 2 is set for 2025 in Europe, likely as a 2026 model. It's one of ten new EVs that Volkswagen plans to launch by 2026. Whether it will come to the USA remains up in the air, although based on the number of small hatchbacks that have exited the local market in recent years, this isn't a great sign for customers in the United States.

As mentioned, the target price of the 2026 Volkswagen ID. 2 is 25,000 euros, roughly the equivalent of $27,100 at the time of writing, although this isn't necessarily a true reflection of pricing within the US market. The larger VW ID.4 starts at an attractive $38,995, but the main drive with the ID. 2 is to make EV ownership accessible, so pricing is likely to be substantially lower - if it were to come to the USA, this is the car that could make VW EV ownership a reality for many more Americans. With a possible tax credit, the theoretical cost could drop as low as $20k.

Other than the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which starts at an MSRP of $26,500 before rebates, there are very few other price-competitive rivals currently for sale in the USA. The current Mini Cooper SE is pricier than the Bolt, but a new one is coming in 2024 with a vastly improved range, and this will be another competitor to the 2026 ID. 2.

The exterior of the new Volkswagen ID. 2 hatchback, based on the concept, is quite restrained, much like every generation of the Golf. VW says that this car previews a new design language for the brand based on three pillars: stability, likeability, and excitement.

The car has a friendly demeanor with a front lighting signature broken only by the central VW badge. The car will come with IQ.Light LED matrix headlights, but it's unclear if these will be optional or not. The fenders are quite pronounced, the five-spoke wheels attractive but simple, and the rear door handles hidden to create the impression of a three-door hatchback. VW was keen to point out the C-pillar design that draws inspiration from the first Golf, which is reinterpreted here. Those wheels, by the way, are 20 inches in size, making them quite large considering the car's compact dimensions.

At the back, the ID. 2all concept electric hatch has a full-width lighting bar with 3D-LED clusters but is otherwise quite plain from this angle. A panoramic sunroof is equipped. Of course, the simple lines do mean that it should age quite well.

It's impossible to speculate what the available colors will be for the Volkswagen ID. 2 besides the blue pictured here, but this is most definitely a car that we think should be specified in a vivid color to add a pop of flair to it. The ID.4 on sale now has a rather dreary color palette besides the optional Aurora Red, so we hope that VW will offer a few more adventurous options for the youthful ID. 2.

The dimensions of the Volkswagen ID. 2all concept suggest a hatchback that will be perfect for weaving in and out of gaps in the city. It measures 159.4 inches in length, over nine inches shorter than the modern Golf 8 GTI. The EV's width is 71.3 inches, its height 60.2 inches, and its wheelbase comes in at 102.3 inches. Production models are likely to follow these measurements closely.

No curb weight was provided, but we expect the ID. 2 to come in at around 3,500 to 3,600 pounds, making it roughly as heavy as a Chevy Bolt EV.

The Volkswagen ID. 2all is significant in that it represents the first MEB-based vehicle with front-wheel drive, with its specific platform known as MEB Entry. In the production car, a single electric motor will produce 223 horsepower, resulting in a 0-62 mph time of just under seven seconds and a top speed of 99 mph. This acceleration lags slightly behind the less powerful 200-hp Bolt EV, but the top speed of the VW in this form is higher.

In light of this being an entry-level EV, the production model's performance is acceptable, and the instant electric power, together with the tight dimensions, should make the VW quite fun to drive.

Volkswagen has claimed a WLTP range of up to 280 miles for the ID. 2all concept, but the less optimistic EPA cycle is likely to return a range of closer to 250 miles or so. For a city-bound hatchback where fast chargers are more common, this is not too bad, and VW promises that the production model's battery will be replenished from 10% to 80% in approximately 20 minutes. Charging can also be handled via an 11 kW connection at home.

The battery's capacity and specs have not been announced, however.

The interior of the Volkswagen ID. 2all concept shows off clean lines and a fully digital cockpit, but what could've been viewed as a bland look has been enlivened by classy ambient lighting. As mentioned by the automaker, the production car will offer generous space inside that is on par with the Golf, despite the compact exterior dimensions. This means that two adults should be quite comfortable in the second row.

Not only will the Volkswagen ID. 2 have spacious seats, but it will introduce some creative storage and cargo solutions. The rear seats can fold flat in a 40:60 ratio, but the front passenger seat backrest can be folded flat as well. This will allow customers to transport particularly long items in the continuous load area that measures 86.6 inches in length. With the seats in their normal position, the cargo space in the Volkswagen ID. 2 should work out to 15.5 cubic feet; this is where the Golf's added body length comes into play as it has just under 20 cubes behind its second row. However, another stowage area under the rear bench in the ID. 2 provides an extra 1.7 cubes of space. With the rear seat folded down, total cargo capacity is 46.9 cubes.

Back in the driver's seat, you are faced with a 10.9-inch digital gauge cluster with available retro-themed digital dials and a 12.9-inch touchscreen interface. VW is hard at work revising the controls in its modern vehicles to be ergonomically friendly once more, so the ID. 2all concept comes with a separate air-conditioning panel and a small thumbwheel which is used to adjust the volume. The new steering wheel has two buttons on either side and two thumbwheels, but isn't overloaded with distracting controls. Aiding comfort will be electric seats with massaging, although we presume that these will be options.

Further technologies include a head-up display, several 45-watt USB-C ports, wireless charging in front, inductive chargers integrated into the front seat backrests, and a 230V socket. The little VW should come with all the modern driver-assist gear, including Park Assist Plus with a memory function.