Electrification is a huge talking point across the automotive industry, with some firms being more vested than others.
Volkswagen is one of those brands really at the forefront, with the German brand even establishing a bespoke model line for its next-generation electric cars, called ‘ID’.
First established in 2016, all of Volkswagen’s ID models to date have been centred around a bespoke electric car platform called MEB, which also underpins various EVs at Audi, Seat and Skoda too. The brand has followed a pattern of creating a concept model, which then leads to an eventual production model. Let’s track how its cars have adapted from concept to reality.
ID – ID.3
Volkswagen first showed off its intent with its EV line-up with the ‘I.D. Concept’ at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. It would be three years before it became a production reality, with the on-the-road model arriving in 2019 (2020 in the UK) as the ID.3.
Not all elements from the concept car made production, but its resemblance was clear. This Golf-sized hatchback holds lots of importance by being the first ID model and has proven popular since.
ID. Crozz – ID.4/ID.5
To be successful in the electric car world, Volkswagen needed to venture into the world of SUVs, and the first concept to showcase this was the ID. Crozz – a coupe-styled model. A second follow-up concept would follow, and these would evolve into the ID.4 and ID.5, the latter holding the closest resemblance to the concept.
These will become Volkswagen’s most popular electric cars, with their spacious interior, SUV styling and long electric range making them a popular choice.
ID. Roomzz – ID.6
Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Roomzz concept at the 2019 Shanghai motor show was its largest model at the time to be based on the MEB electric car platform and was the brand’s first model to be offered with seven seats.
It would lead to the production ID.6 – a spacious seven-seater that was revealed at the same motor show two years later. It’s a model only sold in China – the world’s largest car market for EVs, with no plans to introduce it to the UK.
ID. Buzz – Entered production with same name
Excuse the pun, but the Volkswagen concept that generated the most buzz was this ID Buzz. A futuristic take on the microbus, it was shown in concept form in 2017 as a funky MPV that can double up as a van.
It took until 2022 for it to enter production, but the showroom-ready model is remarkably close to the original concept.
ID. Vizzion – ID. Aero
Volkswagen is set to continue its legacy with saloon cars, and the ID.Vizzion served as the inspiration for this. Originally shown as a concept back in 2018, the production version is yet to be revealed, but has since evolved into the ID.Aero.
Still very much a concept car, it moves Volkswagen a step closer to producing an electric saloon car.
Still very much a concept car, it moves Volkswagen a step closer to producing an electric saloon car.
ID Space Vizzion – ID.7 Tourer
The number of electric estate cars on the market to date is very limited, but Volkswagen signalled its intent to create an EV wagon with the 2019 ID. Space Vizzion.
Promising ‘unrivalled flexibility’, the ID.Vizzion concept showed VW’s commitment to the estate car market, and promised a 300-mile range. A production version is likely to arrive in 2023 and is set to adopt the name ID.7 Tourer, though has not yet been revealed.
ID. Buggy
Volkswagen has a long-running history of creating dune buggies, with previous models based on the iconic Beetle.
But in 2019, Volkswagen showed off a futuristic date on the formula with the ID. Buggy. Shown off at the ultra-exclusive Monterey Car Week, it demonstrated the adaptability of the MEB platform. Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely to ever make production.
ID. Life
So far Volkswagen’s electric cars have largely been pricier models, but the brand is well aware of the need for a more affordable EV to replace the e-Up!.
That model is the ID. Life, which was shown as a concept car back in 2021, promises to bring electric mobility to all. Set to enter production in 2025, Volkswagen said at the concept’s reveal that it hoped to price it from around €20,000 (£17,400).
