“Mobility for all.” Those are the words that Volkswagen has used to present its Volkswagen ID. Every1the concept and first advance of the cheapest electric car in the company. A utility that has marked the border of 20,000 euros as a red line.
We will not see it, yes, until 2027. Before the one we now know as Volkswagen ID. 2allanother car that used a word game to convince us that we are facing cars that should popularize technology. A challenge in itself.
It is a challenge because we talk about cars of 20,000 and 25,000 euros … starting. Vehicles that undoubtedly improve the experience in city but almost abandon the idea of being able to leave a radius of action of about 200 kilometers if it is not folding to important discomforts.
What can we expect in the coming years?
A little context
As we have been following in recent months, the European Union is determined to generalize the use of the electric car above any other technology. At the moment, the prohibition of using Combustion engines that are not neutral in carbon from 2035 is still underway.
But we must remember that the objectives in matters of Emissions for 2030 They are very ambitious and are largely electrifying the majority of the fleet sold by manufacturers. Before, in 2027, the average emissions sold by the manufacturers between 2025 and that exercise will be forced Do not exceed 93.6 gr/km of CO2.
The norm has recently been flexible because it was intended to force (and must still approve its modification) to the manufacturers complying with the aforementioned limit before the end of the year. If they would not have faced a thousand millionaire fines that are now in the air.
The European Commission has been folded to MANUFACTURERS REQUIREMENTSYes, but only in part. If in this 2025 a company exceeds the volume of average emissions of 93.6 gr/km of CO2 will have to compensate in the coming years selling all the Electric and plug -in hybrids that can before 2027.
And that is where electric cars of between 20,000 and 25,000 euros come into play, the great hope for companies that have pressed everything possible to avoid fines and have received an oxygen ball but will have to face a new red line in the short term again.
The big doubt is: is the customer willing to buy these vehicles?
Goodbye to the cheap car “for everything” … and “for all”
The promise of an electric car of 20,000 euros that is defined as propitious “for anyone” is, in 2025, an ambitious attempt. At least, as we say, with the eyes of 2025 because it is possible that in a few years we have become accustomed to something completely different.
It is something that should happen if you want to sell as churros cars like Volkswagen’s. The German company has given few technical details but A 95 hp electric car progresseslimited to 130 km/hy 250 kilometers of autonomy According to WLTP cycle. If those latest data are confirmed, we can expect a road exit to force us to stop every 170-180 kilometers.
Of course, they are estimates based on the experience that gives us to try electric vehicles of all kinds. At the moment, as a general rule, at a sustained speed of 120 km/h We can expect a drop of 25-30% in the estimate presented according to the WLTP cycle.
We speak, of course, to leave the drums dry. If we estimate 25% less electric autonomy, we talk about traveling 200 kilometers from the pull but If we don’t want shocks We will have to stop in a charger a little earlier.
Is that a problem? It depends for those who but, with most of the people with whom I speak, yes. And it is nothing more than a sensation but it seems difficult to sell the benefits of an electric car with an autonomy of 200 kilometers on open road if the potential customer has to spend at least 20,000 euros. Or know very well what is carried or the most normal thing is that it rejects it.
Why choose an electric car of 20,000 euros …
Although it sounds difficult to believe, a 20,000 euros car with a 250 -kilometer WLTP autonomy can be a large purchase as the only car if the customer knows what he takes. Yes, I am convinced and these are the reasons.
The ideal client would be that person who makes more than 40 or 50 kilometers on a day to day And he has a place to load the car. If you usually do not make long trips (one or two a year) you can assume the discomforts of stopping every 180 kilometers when you see the money that has been saved at the end of the month.
To give an example, assuming a consumption of 15 kWh/100 km in city and a 10 cents/kWh recharge cost (nothing especially cheap in a home rate) will spend 1.5 euros per 100 kilometers traveled. If 250 kilometers between Monday and Friday, the cost of the week in energy will not reach 4 euros. On the contrary, a hybrid that, on average, makes a consumption of 5 l/100 km in the city, we will be talking about an expense of nine euros per 100 kilometers. Those same 250 kilometers between Monday and Friday increase to 22.5 euros.
Every week the driver of an electric car with these figures is saving 18.5 euros. Every month we talk about 74 euros. A year are almost 900 euros. Here We are not counting the cost of maintenance (Change of oils, filters, mobile parts of the combustion engine …), so the expected savings is greater.
In addition, we are not contemplating the comfort in comfort that an electric car is in a day -to -day basis. This part is purely subjective but the absence of noise, vibrations and the immediate delivery of the motor torque (although the car is not extremely powerful) improves the performance of a combustion car in the city.
… And why is it an extremely complicated challenge
And, despite everything, this type of electric cars has it extremely complicated to replace smaller models with combustion engines. Or, at least, we know that our long trips will complicate. For the latter there is only one solution: spend more money.
At this time, The cheapest volkswagen pole costs 20,160 euros. That is, savings with the electric car will be immediate. I have no doubt that the Volkswagen ID. Every1 will be, at least, equally wide inside despite being significantly smaller.
The Germans announce some measures of 3.88 meters for the future electrical model while a pole measures 4.07 meters long. However, the battle size is almost identical (2.54 meters for electric and 2.55 meters for the pole). I don’t think I’m wrong if I advance that It will be a better day to day.
If the future Volkswagen ID is compared. Every1 with the cheapest gasoline models on the market, A Sandero Dacia is sold currently for about 14,000 euros. That is, without going into details, the electric will begin to compensate after five and six years, as its maintenance will be less.
All this taking into account current prices because if brands face large fines for exceeding 93.6 gr/km of CO2, manufacturers are expected to compensate part of the cost of putting pure gasoline engines in the market with an increase in the price, even if they play in a complicated field to raise prices.
And that is where the challenge of those new electric cars is that They will be around 20,000 euros. The customer who had a utilitarian vehicle, comfortable on a day -to -size and that assumed certain discomforts on a long trip, such as a smaller trunk or a lower quality rolling than cars of higher segments, will have to ask if he is willing to save money in his day to day in exchange for long trips that lengthen in time.
When that trip is 300-400 kilometers, an electric car that uses a battery between 40 and 52 kWh of capacity will force us to stop about an hour on the road. Above that distance the trip will be even more tedious, with long stops every 180 kilometers that will leave us the car recovering battery more than half an hour if we want to fill the battery almost completely.
All this will solve an electric car with a 60 kWh capacity battery or more. Is The minimum recommended to travel With some peace of mind and plan a trip as little as possible. But we talk about raising the bar and going above 30,000 euros in most cases.
In your day, pay more for a car supposed access technologies that did not have smaller vehiclestake advantage of more powerful engines or, simply, travel in a more round vehicle, with more space for occupants and luggage. But that did not prevent him from Anyone crossing a country using the same amount of time as a vehicle tens of thousands of euros more expensive.
That changes with these electric cars. In a car concept Software dominated and where The battery cost continues to define The total cost of the vehicle, the big difference will be how long we are willing to extend those trips that we make once or twice a year but that do not stop regreting our decision for a whole year.
Yes, in Spain it is easy to travel in an electric car without much planning the route. It is something that It has changed considerably In recent years. We assume, in addition, that there will be many more loaders than on the road that can help these vehicles of autonomies contained.
But, despite everything, there will be a key value when deciding whether we pay more (provided we can) for an electric car or another: our time.
Photo | Volkswagen