VW is planning a US$21,000 subcompact electric to challenge Tesla

Volkswagen plans to add a subcompact crossover costing about 18,000 euros (US$21,000, or about $28,000 Canadian) to its all-electric I.D. range, expanding its lineup of zero-emissions vehicles that are more affordable than those of Tesla, according to people familiar with the matter. The entry-level vehicle may be built at VW’s factory in Emden, Germany, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plan hasn’t received final approval by the manufacturer’s supervisory board. Sales could start sometime after 2020, and the company expects to sell about 200,000 per year, they said. That would put it on par with current production levels of the more-expensive Tesla Model 3, the U.S. electric-car leader’s most affordable vehicle, which is due to arrive in Europe next year. The I.D. range is at the heart of one of the auto industry’s most aggressive electric-car initiatives—a plan to put 50 models on the road across the group, including volume brands such as VW, Seat and Skoda. The world’s largest automaker plans to use its massive scale to offer less-expensive e-cars than rivals like Tesla, hoping to blunt their early advantage as more consumers adopt zero-emissions vehicle. The first in the lineup is the […]

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