Will the future Volkswagen ID.1 be the rebranded Renault Twingo?

Volkswagen is accelerating the commercialization of a small electric city car under 20,000 euros to compete with the Citroën ë-C3.

No time to lose. Even though the electric market seems to be slowing down, and politicians advocate for an extension of the lifespan of fossil fuels due to the slow deployment of electric mobility and the geopolitical dominance of China and the United States, Volkswagen is accelerating in this sector.

The positions taken now will be secured for decades to come, and the German manufacturer can rely on the strength of its group of about ten brands to find profitability.

The goal of a 20,000 euro car is no longer a fantasy: Citroën will arrive in the coming weeks with its very successful ë-C3 (admittedly subsidized in France to lower its price), but electric technology is becoming increasingly affordable.

An ID.1… Twingo?

For the first time, Volkswagen has given a production date for this ID.1, a kind of replacement for the cute e-Up!: 2027. So patience is required. The manufacturer claims to already be halfway through the vehicle’s development and the design is nearly finalized.

The biggest question raised by Volkswagen: where will this “affordable” car be produced (everything is relative…). Renault will prove with its Twingo and R5 that it is possible to produce in France with Western wage levels. Volkswagen is aware that producing in China or India would be unacceptable. Discussions have been initiated with Renault to possibly share a platform and thus pool costs. Could the future ID.1 be a rebodied Twingo? This is a possibility that makes sense in a sector where margins will be tight.

The next significant electric news from Volkswagen will be the ID.2, a product somewhere between a Polo and a Golf, and which will obviously have a higher price: around 27,000 euros as a starting price. Its commercialization is scheduled for 2026.

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