THE Volkswagen ID.3 is, perhaps, the most important model of the German brand at the moment. Why? ID.3 will be Volkswagen's main “battle horse” in the electrification of the automobile.
It is essential that it succeed, even to justify the large investments in electric mobility already made by the German brand/group. And this without counting the upcoming investments already announced, such as the 33 billion euros of investment in electric mobility for the period 2020-2024!
What no one predicted in their business plans was a pandemic that managed to stop the entire European industrial machine, but after almost two months, here are the first signs of recovery.
One of these locations is precisely one of the epicenters of the electrical revolution that will mark Volkswagen's activity in the coming years. The German manufacturer's factory in Zwickau, where the ID.3 is produced, has already resumed its activity, albeit partially. At the moment it's still at a third of pre-suspend capacity, producing 50 Volkswagen ID.3 per day , and at a reduced pace — it must be ensured that all the conditions are in place to protect the health of workers.
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How has this forced stop changed the launch plans of such an important model as the Volkswagen ID.3? Apparently nothing. The brand claims that the ID.3's summer launch, as originally scheduled, is still viable.
The objective, for now, is to produce the 30,000 units referring to the ID.3 1ST — the special launch edition — so they can all be delivered to their future owners simultaneously. The ID.3 1ST is equipped with a 204 hp engine and a 58 kWh battery, capable of 420 km of autonomy and with a price of approximately 40 thousand euros.
The Zwickau plant will progressively be dedicated solely to the production of electric vehicles. In addition to the Volkswagen ID.3, in the future we will see the SEAT el-Born and Audi Q4 e-tron, all of them derived from MEB, the Volkswagen Group's dedicated electric vehicle platform, to be produced there as well.
Razão Automóvel's team will continue online, 24 hours a day, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Follow the recommendations of the General Directorate of Health, avoid unnecessary travel. Together we will be able to overcome this difficult phase.