Volkswagen finds itself in a peculiar position: celebrating genuine electric vehicle traction while simultaneously confronting the possibility of one of the largest workforce reductions in its history. The two stories are unfolding at the same time, and together they paint a complicated picture of a brand in transition.
ID. Polo Finds Its Audience
Volkswagen officially unveiled the ID. Polo in late April, opening pre-sales immediately for the 155 kW, 52 kWh NMC battery variant. The response has been encouraging. Pre-sales for that variant have already reached 25,000 units, and Volkswagen has now opened pre-sales for a second, smaller 37 kWh version.
European pricing starts at €24,995 for the 37 kWh Trend variant, roughly A$41,000 at current exchange rates. The 37 kWh Life and Style specifications begin at €29,194. For a nameplate as familiar as the Polo, bringing an electric version to market at this price point matters. It gives the brand a credible entry-level EV at a time when affordability is increasingly the deciding factor for buyers.
ID. Cross Joins the Lineup
Volkswagen also premiered the ID. Cross, a compact all-electric SUV, with pre-sales launching immediately alongside the reveal. Entry-level pricing begins at €28,000 (around A$46,000) with the opening pre-sale configuration priced from €36,525 for the 155 kW, 52 kWh Life and Style trims.
The ID. Cross will share the ID. Polo’s powertrain options, offering output levels of 85 kW, 99 kW, and 155 kW. Range reaches up to 427 km on the WLTP cycle. Fast charging is rated at 90 kW for the 37 kWh battery and 105 kW for the 52 kWh unit, with both capable of a 10–80 per cent charge in roughly 23 to 24 minutes.
The body measures 4,153 mm long with a 2,601 mm wheelbase, and boot space comes in at 475 litres, 20 litres more than the combustion-engined T-Cross. Vehicle-to-load charging at up to 3.6 kW is standard across all trims, a practical addition that rivals at this price point don’t always include.
The Harder News: Potential Cuts of Up to 100,000 Jobs
Behind the product launches, Volkswagen is facing serious structural pressure. Reuters reported in late June that the company was considering closing four German factories and cutting as many as 100,000 jobs. A subsequent internal memo from CEO Oliver Blume, also reported by Reuters, indicated that a further 50,000 redundancies beyond an existing 2024 programme may be necessary to remain competitive.
The supervisory board has since rejected the proposed factory closures, but the broader workforce question remains unresolved. The scale of the potential cuts reflects how severely Chinese manufacturers have disrupted Volkswagen’s cost position, particularly in the EV segment where the brand is still building volume.
That tension (strong pre-sale numbers on one hand, existential cost pressure on the other) defines where Volkswagen stands right now. The ID. Polo and ID. Cross suggest the product strategy is working. Whether the business behind it can sustain the pace of change is a separate, and considerably harder, question.
