While the Volkswagen Group faces factory closures and layoffs of tens of thousands of jobs, it has found a positive aspect in Europe: the inability to produce its affordable electric vehicles at the rate that orders are arriving. This scenario is evident in the new ID.Polo, which has customers waiting for at least ten months.
According to Automotive News Europe, the hatchback model has accumulated over 30,000 orders since reservations began in April. The performance of the Skoda Epiq, which shares the platform and many components with the German model, is even more notable, registering 35,000 pre-orders since July, indicating a higher volume in a shorter time.
A Skoda spokesperson informed the publication that the electric SUV is being very well received and that the brand has achieved its goal with this model. The news about the ten-month waiting list was obtained through a dealership consulted by the magazine.
This success is relevant for a manufacturer that has been facing continuous declines in global sales and is undergoing its biggest historical restructuring, including unit shutdowns, mass layoffs, and product line simplification. The strategy of betting on entry-level electric vehicles is part of this plan, aiming to concentrate investments in segments that still show good sales performance.
The entire family of the group's electric city cars is manufactured in Spain. The ID. Polo and the Cupra Raval are produced in Martorell, near Barcelona, a plant that received over 3 billion euros to adapt to electric production. The Epiq and the future ID. Cross will be manufactured at the Navarra factory in Pamplona, a site that produced the combustion Polo for four decades. To reduce waiting times, Volkswagen plans to increase production capacity at these two factories.
The great attraction of these models lies in the price. In Europe, the ID. Polo starts at approximately 24,900 euros (R$ 148.3k) in the entry-level Trend version, equipped with a 116 hp engine, a 37 kWh battery, and a declared range of 334 km. This price point was almost nonexistent among European electric vehicles until the previous year, a period when car and fuel costs continue to rise on the continent.
In the Brazilian market, the situation is different. Volkswagen recently announced the ID.4 Pro 2027 for R$ 299,990, scheduled to arrive in stores in October, making it the first electric vehicle from the brand to be sold in the country outside of the subscription program. There is no confirmation about the ID. Polo in Brazil, and the model would face strong competition from established Chinese brands, such as BYD Dolphin, Geely EX2, and GAC Aion UT, all positioned below R$ 200k.