- Volkswagen's new EV, the ID.3, will hit European roads this summer.
- It's aimed to be a people's car, following in the footsteps of the company's Beetle and Golf.
- The base model will start at less than 30,000 euros (about $33,000) making it an attractive option to buyers interested in Tesla's Model 3.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The following is a transcript of the video.
Volkswagen has unveiled a handful of electric concept cars since 2017. Now it finally has a production-ready EV, the ID.3. It's a compact hatchback designed exclusively for the European market. Due to the ID.3's size and affordability, it's poised to be a fierce competitor for Tesla's Model 3. Here's how the two cars stack up. ID.3 customers will be able to choose between three different battery packs. Although the ID.3 falls short of Tesla's numbers, both vehicles offer enough range for the average consumer. Fast charging comes standard on both vehicles. The ID.3 will take advantage of Europe's Ionity network. The Model 3 comes out on top in terms of range.
When it comes to performance, it's hard to beat Tesla's battery technology. While VW hasn't confirmed any acceleration tests, Top Gear estimates the ID.3 makes the 0-to-100 run in about nine seconds. So Tesla can hold on to its reputation of producing the quickest EVs. But in all fairness, the ID.3 wasn't designed to be quick off the line.
The overall look of these two EVs couldn't be more different. The Model 3 is a midsized sedan, while the ID.3 sports a hatchback. The Model 3 is a sleek, miniature version of its bigger brother, Model S. Traditional buttons and knobs are all reimagined on its 15-inch tablet-like display. The ID.3 resembles the popular Golf but is longer, wider, and taller. Inside, the ID.3 looks and feels like a new era of Volkswagen. It features two displays, an instrument cluster attached to the steering column and a 10-inch display that sits in front of the dashboard and acts as the infotainment system. Unlike the Model 3, the ID.3's display calls back to a traditional dashboard with touch-sensitive buttons with haptic feedback. Both interiors bring owners into a new era of driving, but the ID.3 seems to offer a bit more familiarity. As far as cargo space is concerned, they offer 541 and 542 liters of space, and both seat up to five adults. So they're evenly matched here.
The Model 3 comes standard with Autopilot, Tesla's semiautonomous driving feature, designed to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you and keep you in your lane. The ID.3 will come standard with adaptive cruise control and lane assist, which delivers the same functions as Tesla's Autopilot. The Model 3 also does away with the traditional car key and replaces it with an RFID card, similar to a hotel key. But what sets the ID.3 apart from most EVs? Its ID.Light, an LED strip that runs across the dashboard. It's designed to communicate with the driver through a system of blinking and color changes. Where Tesla seems to scale back on its entry-level EV, Volkswagen offers a little more.
Volkswagen has positioned the ID.3 to be an easy choice over the Model 3. It's off to a good start, with over 30,000 reservations. Although the ID.3 doesn't quite compete with the performance of a Tesla, Volkswagen nails the features consumers look for in an affordable EV. The first edition of the ID.3 is expected to hit European roads this summer. So we'll just have to wait and see if it's as good on the road as it is on paper.
