Official

Volkswagen starts taking preorders for its electric hatchback — the ID.3

ID.numeral will be the official naming convention for VW EVs

Volkswagen ID.3
Volkswagen ID.3 / Image Credit: Volkswagen
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Volkswagen has released official information and photos of the production version of its upcoming ID electric hatchback. The European market cars are now available to be preordered, too, ahead of the ID's official debut this fall.

The electric models will adopt an alphanumeric naming convention, and the first model will officially be called the ID.3 — reportedly, other models such as ID.4 and ID.5 will follow, with the ID.Crozz, ID.Vizzion and ID.Roomzz concepts receiving (thankfully) model numbers.

In these photos, we see the ID.3 virtually undisguised, as there's only a thin, luridly stylized vinyl over the car, but the detailing is all there. Except for the VW logo, of course, which may be redesigned by the time the wraps come off the ID.3. The interior is not visible in the photos, and the rear half of the car's glasshouse is vinyled over.

Volkswagen notes that not only does the number "3" tie the vehicle within the compact segment, but that it's also the third important milestone for the brand, after the Beetle and the Golf. VW has disclosed the average yearly sales target at 100,000 cars.

There will be a 30,000-unit launch edition of the ID.3, which comes fully loaded and features the middle of three battery options, good for 420 km/260 miles. The other two give ranges of 330 km/205 miles and 550 km/340 miles. Though all these figures are WLTP, so we'll see what the U.S. EPA determines.

In Germany, the cheapest, 205-mile ID.3 will be priced under 30,000 Euros , or $33,600, while the 260-mile ID.3 1ST launch edition is targeted to cost under 40,000 Euros, or $44,800. Customers booking the launch edition cars also benefit from free rapid charging for a year, up to a 2,000 kWh maximum. For the launch edition, there are three configurations that have different lighting and HUD options.

Official orders after pre-booking are said to start directly after the car's debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Volkswagen says ID.3 production starts in late 2019, with the first customer cars reaching delivery at mid-2020. The pre-booking is available on 29 European markets, and VW says Norway, Germany, Netherlands, France, United Kingdom and Austria are the core markets.

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