Volkswagen Confirms Shift Away from ID Naming Structure
We’d heard that Volkswagen might move away from the ID naming convention for its electric vehicles for a while now, but the automaker just confirmed the shift. It recently announced that the ID.2all would enter production as the ID. Polo, and VW confirmed that a sportier GTI version is on the way, too.
Volkswagen will show the cars at the IAA Munich automotive trade show this weekend. It also plans to bring the new ID. Cross, which will become an electric alternative to the T-Cross. Both the Polo and Cross are scheduled to start production in 2026.
The ID names were great at differentiating EVs from normal VWs, but they were confusing for all but the most dedicated observers. Volkswagen’s move away from names like ID.3 and ID.7 in favor of slightly more traditional names should make things much easier and could help draw in more customers.
VW board member Martin Sander said, “A model like the Polo shows just how powerful a name can be: it stands for reliability, personality, and history. That’s precisely why we are again giving our ID. models names that arouse emotions and are anchored in people’s everyday lives. Electric mobility should not only be progressive, but also accessible and personal.”
We don’t know if any of the new EVs will come to North America. Volkswagen canceled the planned ID.7 release, and the ID. Buzz van isn’t selling in the numbers it had hoped.
[Images: Volkswagen]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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