Legacy automakers Volkswagen and Toyota are taking aim at BYD with new subcompact battery-electric vehicles meant to challenge the juggernaut BEV maker’s growth in China and Europe.
Volkswagen this week reveals the ID. EVERY1, a compact hatchback concept previewing its electric successor to the e-Up, and the first vehicle to employ new software VW has developed with Rivian It is set to launch in Europe and other markets in 2027 with a starting price of no more than €20,000 ($21,500), according to VW brand CEO Thomas Schäfer.
Meantime, Toyota launches the least expensive BEV in China, the bZ3X, starting at roughly RMB108,711RMB ($15,000.) The new electric SUV crashed Toyota’s website server with over 10,000 orders in an hour.
The BYD Seagull, planned to enter the European market this year with pricing expected to start below €20,000, will have a two-year head start on VW.
While much is being said about slackening BEV demand, automakers are still focusing on delivering affordable, entry-level electric vehicles in the belief that the slowdown is just that and not plunging demand.
VW ID. EVERY1
At 3,880 mm (152.8 ins.) long – 337 mm (13.3 ins.) longer than the e-Up produced until 2023 – the ID. EVERY1 is the third model based on VW's MEB-Plus electric-vehicle platform.
This newly developed structure is designed for front-wheel-drive electric models, including the slightly larger ID.2 hatchback and the more rugged ID.2X SUV, both due in 2026 with a starting price of around €25,000 ($26,900).
Together, the three models form VW’s “Electric Urban Family.”
The focus on front-wheel drive is aimed at maximizing interior space. VW claims the ID. EVERY1 offers class-leading accommodation, with seating for four adults and a cargo capacity of 305 L (10.8 cu.-ft.), 54 L (1.9 cu.-ft.) more than its direct predecessor but 185 L (6.5 cu.-ft.) less than the larger ID.2.
Until now, VW’s ID. models – including the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.6 and ID.7 – have used a different version of the MEB platform with either rear- or all-wheel drive. That layout has limited cargo capacity due to the rear-mounted electric motor.
VW says its new entry-level model is designed to appeal not only to private buyers but also to businesses, urban delivery companies and care services.
“The ID. EVERY1 represents the last piece of the puzzle on our way to the widest model selection in the volume segment. We will then offer every customer the right car with the right drive system,” says Schäfer. “Our goal is to be the world’s technologically leading high-volume manufacturer by 2030.”
The concept version of the ID. EVERY1 is powered by a new synchronous electric motor, internally coded as APP350, delivering 94 hp – 12 hp more than the final version of the e-Up launched in 2019.
The front-mounted motor incorporates developments from VW’s larger APP550 unit. It drives the front wheels through a single-speed gearbox, enabling a claimed top speed of 81 mph (130 km/h).
Details of the ID. EVERY1’s battery capacity and chemistry have yet to be confirmed, though VW claims a range of “at least 250 km (155 miles).”
At 130 mm (5.1 ins.) longer than Renault’s proposed electric Twingo, VW’s new entry-level BEV continues the design lineage introduced with the ID.2all concept in 2023. It features clean, minimalist lines reminiscent of the e-Up, with unique head- and taillights that VW’s head of design Andreas Mindt says “give it a smile.” A glass tailgate provides a stylistic link to its predecessor.
Inside, the ID. EVERY1 receives a modern-looking cabin featuring an octagonal-shaped, two-spoke, multifunction steering wheel and a dashboard with an integral display set well back underneath the windshield. It also receives sport-style seats with integral headrests up front and a large center console.
Production of the new model – expected to be named either ID.1 or ID. Up – will take place at VW’s Autoeuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal, where the internal-combustion T-Roc CUV is currently built.
Unfortunately, for the North American market, the diminutive EV will be Europe-only, at least to start. The German automaker previewed the vehicle Wednesday with the slogan, “From Europe For Europe,” an obvious nod to the tension in Germany and the EU over cheap EVs coming into Europe from China.
Toyota bZ3X
On Thursday, Toyota launched its cheapest BEV in China, the bZ3X small SUV, starting at about $15,000.
The bZ3X is available in two trims, with or without Toyota’s full-scenario smart driving tech. The version without the smart tech starts at RMB109,800 ($15,000) with five trim options while the smart driving version starts at RMB149,800 ($20,500).
The range-topping “610 Max” trim, priced at RMB159,800 ($22,000), gets up to 610 km (379 miles) of CLTC range from a 67.9-kWh LFP battery. The base “430 Air” gets up to 430 km (267 miles) from a 50-kWh LFP battery pack.
That pricing is still a bit above the pricing of BYD’s Seagull in China. The Vitality Edition of Seagull starts at RMB69,800 ($9,700) and the upper trim Flying Edition starts at RMB85,800 ($12,000).
Toyota describes the interior as a “mobile space that is comfortable as home,” with front and rear seats that fold down to create nearly 10 cu.-ft. (283 L) of space. The BEV has a 14.6-in. (37-cm) infotainment screen with voice recognition. The bZ3X comes with 25 ADAS features – parallel parking, high-speed pilot, remote-control parking, traffic assist and blindspot monitoring, among others.
Industry consultancy Deloitte predicts total global BEV and PHEVs sales will reach 31.1 million units by 2030. More affordable options for consumers will be key to meeting those expectations.
