Volkwagen assigns timeless names to its electric vehicles

Electric vehicles produced by Volkswagen in the future will be designated using names from their historical internal combustion models.

, and Administrator

2025 September 13 . 9:30 AM

2 min read

Volkswagen adopts traditional monikers for its electric vehicles

Volkwagen assigns timeless names to its electric vehicles

Volkswagen to Unveil Electric ID.Polo at IAA Mobility in Munich

Volkswagen is set to make a significant move in the electric vehicle market with the unveiling of its first electric model to carry a familiar name – the ID.Polo. The announcement was made at a non-public works meeting in Wolfsburg, Germany, and the car will be showcased at the IAA Mobility in Munich next week.

The ID.Polo is expected to hit the market in 2026, with an estimated starting price of around 25,000 euros. This move is part of Volkswagen's plan to enter the electric entry-level segment.

Thomas Schäfer, brand chief of VW, has announced a return to established names for the ID models, moving away from numbers. The ID.Polo will be the first to follow this new naming convention.

In addition to the ID.Polo, a sporty variant bearing the GTI suffix from internal combustion engines will also be on display.

Volkswagen's electric strategy extends beyond the ID.Polo. Sister brands Skoda and Cupra, as well as Volkswagen itself, have plans for further models based on the same platform as the ID.Polo. The Skoda Epiq and the Cupra Raval are the models developed by Skoda and Cupra, respectively, that are based on the same modular electric platform (MEB+). Both models are expected to launch in 2026 and will offer electric drivetrains with ranges exceeding 400 kilometers.

An SUV variant from Volkswagen is also in the works. The production version of the current study, ID.Cross, is set to hit the market by the end of 2026 as the electric counterpart to the T-Cross.

The smaller electric cars will be built in Spain. Volkswagen is renaming its electric models, abandoning numbering systems and adopting names similar to their internal combustion engine counterparts.

Unlike in 2023, photography was strictly prohibited at this meeting. However, the production version of the ID.Polo was unveiled to VW employees.

A more affordable model with the working title "ID.Every1" is planned for 2027, succeeding the VW Up which was discontinued in 2023, at an estimated price of around 20,000 euros.

Brand chief Schäfer has expressed a desire to keep the Golf and Tiguan models separate from the renaming of electric models. The ID.Polo will be the first in this new series, with the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, and ID.7 already part of the ID family, established in 2019. The ID.Buzz electric bus does not have a number in its name.

The first electric model to make this transition is the compact car previously known as "ID.2all", which will now be called ID.Polo. The ID.Polo will be the first electric model to carry a familiar name, marking an exciting new chapter in Volkswagen's electric vehicle journey.