In its first year of production, the Volkswagen ID.3 electric car has been a massive success for the brand. Since it was launched in the autumn of 2020, this electric vehicle (EV) has received 144,000 orders. It was also the best selling car in Europe in August 2021.
A study commissioned by the company found that around 50 percent of the orders received for the ID.3 in its first year were from buyers who had not driven a Volkswagen before.
Klaus Zellmer, Volkswagen, board member for sales, marketing and after sales, said: “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,”
“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.”
For comparison, on average, the ratio of new customers for other Volkswagen models is around 36 percent. In the first half of 2021, the strong demand for the ID.3 and other ID. models made Volkswagen the market leader for battery-electric vehicles in Europe within a very short time.
In August, the car was the most popular electric car in many markets including Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria and Switzerland. Based on new registrations, the ID.3 also ranked top in Western Europe overall in August.
As a result of this strong demand, some 1,200 of the best-selling electric cars are leaving the production lines in Zwickau and Dresden every day. At the Zwickau plant, Volkswagen have been operating three shifts on both production lines.
Production for the local market has also started in Anting in China. The ID.3 will be launched on the Chinese market in the autumn of this year. It will join the ID.4 electric crossover, which became the best selling sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Europe in April, and the seven-seater ID.6.
Volkswagen recently surveyed its ID.3 customers in Germany about the reasons for their purchase and their user behaviour. Around 60 percent said their main criteria for buying or leasing an ID.3 was because of its environmental performance.
The survey also found that for most users, charging their vehicles at home is already fully carbon-neutral. Around 70 percent of them use only green electricity, either from their own photovoltaic/solar systems or from their electricity supplier.
By 2030, Volkswagen expects at least 70 percent of all its unit sales in Europe will be all-electric vehicles, which is substantially more than one million vehicles. In North America and China, the share of electric vehicles in sales is expected to be at least 50 percent. In addition, Volkswagen will be launching at least one new electric car each year.
