Volkswagen Kicks Off Production of Fully-Electric ID.3

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

Few automakers have done a 180-degree change like Volkswagen. Just a few years ago, the German brand was arguably the leader for diesels in the U.S. After dieselgate, Volkswagen has switched gears, focusing more on electric cars. The ID.3 isn't the first electric car from VW, but it's going to be the first EV out from the brand that will preview the automaker's future – and it's finally going into production.

Zwickau Opens Its Doors For The ID.3
 
As CNBC points out, the automaker had a ceremony at its Zwickau plant, which was attended by Volkswagen's CEO Herbert Diess and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among quite a few other people. At the event, Diess claimed that the all-new ID.3 would "make an important contribution to the breakthrough of e-mobility."
 
Diess also added that the ID.3 is important because of the electric vehicle's reach. "It makes clean individual mobility accessible to millions of people and is a milestone for our company on the road to becoming climate-neutral by 2050," he said.
 
With production of the ID.3 underway, Volkswagen claims that it's "electric offensive is picking up speed." With VW expecting to sell approximately 22 million electric cars worldwide by 2028, the ID.3, and the other electric cars that will follow it are clearly very important to the automaker.

ID.3 To Lead The Way For VW
 
The ID.3, which was unveiled in its entirety at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in September, is going to be VW's answer to an affordable, spunky electric car. Built on Volkswagen's modular MEB platform that will be used to underpin a number of other EVs, the ID.3 will be available in three different configurations. Range varies from 205 miles to 342 miles, while pricing is expected to start at $33,000.
 
While the ID.3 will be an important part of VW's electric future, the plant where the EVs will be produced is important, too. The Zwickau plant will be the prime location for its EV production plans. The facility is undergoing a current conversion from being a plant that only built vehicles for internal combustion vehicles to one that focuses solely on electric cars. VW has invested roughly $1.33 billion into redeveloping the factory in the hopes that by 2021, it will be able to handle the production of 333,000 electric cars annually.
 
The VW ID.3 will be one of just many electric cars the automaker hopes to have on the market in the near future. The ID. Crozz, Buzz, Vizzion, Buggy, and Roomzz are also in the works. Previously, the automaker has stated that it will come out with "almost 70 new electric models" by 2028. Getting things right with the ID.3, then, is an important thing for the automaker.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods