It’s no secret that Volkswagen has been facing a huge slump in sales in Europe and China, forcing it to close plants in Germany.
But unlike other European automakers who have stuck to producing high-end electric vehicles (EVs), the German automaker keeps on reaffirming its commitment to bringing affordable EVs to market, including in the U.S.
And that commitment starts with VW’s most affordable EV model to date, the ID.2. Volkswagen remains committed to launching the EV by the end of 2025 or early 2026, Kai Grünitz, head of tech development, told Autocars at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Last year, the automaker launched the ID.2all concept, promising an entry-level EV with prices starting under $27,000.
For long-time VW fans, the EV is being promoted as being “spacious as a Golf” and “affordable as a Polo.” It’s also expected to allow up to 279 miles on a full battery.
The design and the interior of the ID.2 promises a trip down memory lane, including driver displays straight out of the VW Beetle and Golf eras.
In addition, an ID.2 SUV is slated to be unveiled in September 2025, while a GTI version is also being developed.
Meanwhile, it’s clear that Volkswagen wants to hammer in that “affordable” is the keyword for its EV strategy. VW CEO Larry Blume has also hinted at a sub-$22,000 EV to be released after 2025. All in all, the automaker says it’s planning to release eight new affordable EVs by 2027.
The price of batteries is one of the main hurdles to reducing EV production costs and lowering sale prices. To that end, VW is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants, as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.
Yet, now that Chinese-made EVs, known as global leaders in terms of affordability, are facing 100% tariffs both in North America and Europe, only a few automakers seem to be interested in selling ever-cheaper EVs in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits.
Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has recently put a floor on expectations for a regular Tesla model ever selling for $25,000.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.