The first VW ID. Polo models will have a higher price tag than the promised €25,000

Volkswagen may delay the release of the affordable version of the ID.Polo electric hatchback. According to Handelsblatt, at the start of sales, buyers are likely to be offered modifications more expensive than the promised 25,000 euros.

Volkswagen plans to start taking orders for ID.Polo in April 2026. The model is expected to hit the market in the same year. However, as sources among dealers report, initially only a version with a 211 hp (155 kW) electric motor and a 52 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery will be available. This configuration, according to preliminary estimates, will cost around €30,000 or more, depending on the configuration and taxes in a particular region.

More affordable versions of the ID.Polo with 116 hp (85 kW) and 135 hp (99 kW) electric motors should receive a simpler and cheaper 37 kWh battery. It will provide a smaller range but allow the price to be kept at the level of €25,000. According to the Handelsblatt publication, these batteries will not be ready by the time the model is launched.

Volkswagen links the delay of the basic versions of the new model to the limited availability of cheaper battery elements. The company emphasizes that this is not about changing the pricing strategy, but about supply issues. Officially, the manufacturer speaks of a delay of just a few weeks.

Dealers assess the situation less optimistically. Some of them suggest that the wait for the basic version may drag on for six months or even longer. According to one source, it may take six to nine months before the configuration with a smaller battery becomes available for order.

The delay is significant because Volkswagen actively promoted the ID.Polo as a €25,000 electric car aimed at the mass market. The only exception is the future GTI version, which will be the first electric Volkswagen with this designation and was not initially announced as budget-friendly.

Source: Handelsblatt