- Volkswagen has announced a new strategy for EV model naming, as it continues its transition into the electric vehicle era.
- Under a new model naming strategy, established model names that often carry decades of reputation will be brought into its ‘ID.’ portfolio, helping to simplify its model line-up.
- This new strategy will first kick off with the ID.2all concept car, which will be renamed as the ID. Polo when it launches in 2026, existing as the fully-electric counterpart of the ICE-powered Polo.
Volkswagen to bring its EV models back to familiar model names
Volkswagen’s original EVs followed a similar strategy, such as the e-Golf and e-Up!, before it switched to a numeric EV naming system with the ID.3 back in 2019. It’s easy to see why Volkswagen are making this U-turn, however: Ask your average person on the street what the difference between an ID.3, ID.4, or ID.7 is, and it seems unlikely that you’ll get a correct answer. Ask that same person to identify some of Volkswagen’s established models, such as the Golf or the Polo, and it’ll likely be a different story.
Following on from the ID. Polo’s release in 2026 will be the ID. T-Cross, arriving later in the year as the electric alternative to its ICE-powered T-Cross. Though Volkswagen hasn’t confirmed it yet, once the current generation ID.3 comes to a close later in the decade, we can naturally expect that to also be renamed as the ID. Golf, with other models also following.
Furthering this strategy, Volkswagen also confirmed that its GTI badge will return on EVs, dropping the EV-specific GTX performance brand we’ve already seen on cars like the ID.3 and ID.4. The ID. Polo GTI will be the first EV to gain the highly-respected GTI badge, also launching in 2026.
The Volkswagen brand carries high customer loyalty, and by naming future EVs according to longstanding nameplates, this brings an air of familiarity to first time EV purchases – and could assist further in early mainstream EV adoption.
Martin Sander, Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, explained the reasoning for the change further:
“Our cars often accompany people for many years – they shape memories and stages of life. A model like the Polo shows just how powerful a name can be: it stands for reliability, personality and history. That’s precisely why we are again giving our ID. models names that arouse emotions and are anchored in people’s everyday lives. Electric mobility should not only be progressive, but also accessible and personal.”
