VW takes stock of the performance of the ID.3
Just over a year after the introduction of the ID.3, VW has taken stock of the market acceptance of the electric vehicle. According to the report, the Wolfsburg-based company has received more than 144,000 orders for its first MEB vehicle. According to the carmaker, a good 50 per cent of the buyers had not previously driven a VW, i.e. they were new to the brand.
The 144,000 orders mentioned above refer to the period since market launch until the end of September 2021. Volkswagen emphasises that the ID.3 was the most sought-after electric car in many markets in August – for example in Germany, the UK, Ireland, Austria and Switzerland. It also said that in Western Europe as a whole, the ID.3 was number one in new registrations in August.
“The car is an absolute hit. It appeals to customers and has shot from zero to take top positions among new registrations in a large number of countries,” Klaus Zellmer, board member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales at Volkswagen, is pleased to say.
According to a study by the company, half of the ID.3 buyers had not previously driven a VW. On average, the rate of new customers for other Volkswagen models is said to be around 36 per cent. “The ID.3 has tapped into an above-average number of new buyer groups for Volkswagen. Some 70,000 new customers are strong proof that we are exactly on the right track with this vehicle and our electric mobility strategy,” Zellmer continues. Volkswagen’s own survey of customers identified “climate-friendly”, “innovative” and “strong dealer network” as the main reasons for purchasing the ID.3. And for almost 80 per cent of German customers, the ID.3 is said to be the vehicle most used in the home. Around 70 per cent charge exclusively with green electricity at home.
The high demand for the ID.3 and other ID. models has made Volkswagen the market leader for battery-electric cars in Europe in the first half of 2021. 26 per cent of all battery-electric cars registered in Europe came from the VW Group. To meet the high demand, a total of around 1,200 units of the ID.3 come off the production lines in Zwickau and Dresden every day. Zwickau produces on both lines in three shifts. In addition, production for the local market started in Anting, China – as is known, the car will be launched in China this autumn. A launch in North America is still not planned.
In Germany, VW adjusted the model range for the ID.3 for the last time in May. The range was simplified, but the base price was also raised by 465 euros. The most interesting change at the time: the DC charging capacity for the two smaller batteries increased. Since September, ID.3 and ID.4 have also been available on a subscription basis. The ID.3 is available from 499 euros, the ID.4 from 649 euros. The Wolfsburg-based company estimates that by 2030 it will be able to generate around 20 per cent of its sales from subscriptions and other short-term mobility offers.
However, Volkswagen, like many other OEMs, is currently struggling with the worldwide chip shortage. Due to the semiconductor crisis, the basic model of the VW ID.3 with the 45 kWh battery cannot be ordered at the moment. New orders will only be possible again from 2022.
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