Image of VW’s first new production electric car reportedly leaks

Volkswagen is planning to start launching a new generation of electric vehicles based on its I.D. electric concept vehicles next year.

A report from Germany claims to have the first image of the first production version of those vehicles as well as its name.

VW’s series of “I.D.” concept vehicles are powered by the company’s new MEB platform.

There’s the I.D., which is a Golf-sized vehicle expected to be their first mass-market EV for the model year 2020, there’s also the crossover all-electric I.D. CROZZ Concept, and then there’s the I.D. BUZZ electric microbus coming in 2022.

Finally, VW unveiled the I.D. VIZZION sedan last month.

The Golf-sized I.D. is the one that was reportedly revealed this week in a report by Germany’s Bild (paywall).

They say that it will be called the ‘Neo’ and they claim that the picture above and below is the first image of the production version to be unveiled next year.

Here it is next to the official I.D. concept (left) unveiled last year:

The report reiterates the range that VW originally announced, which was a NEDC-rated range of “400 to 600 km” (~250 to 375 miles) depending on the battery pack configuration – though we expect it to drop significantly under the WLTP standard.

As for pricing, a Volkswagen executive said last year they were aiming for the mass-market vehicle to be “about $7,000 to $8,000 cheaper than the Model 3”.

The vehicle is expected to be first available in Europe, where Tesla has yet to confirm pricing for the Model 3, but it should result in a price for the I.D. concept, or now the VW Neo, of about 25,000 euros (~$30,000 USD).

Documents leaked last year showed that VW’s electric I.D. effort includes several other yet-to-be-announced EVs and a focus on Europe and China, where regulations are becoming more favorable to EVs.