Excerpts from The Age this morning: Volkswagen has released...

Excerpts from The Age this morning:

Volkswagen has released disguised photos of the ID.3 – one of the most important electric cars to arrive next decade – ahead of its official unveiling at this year's Frankfurt motor show in September.




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European customers are due to take delivery in mid-2020 but the electric "people's car" won't arrive in local showrooms until at least two years later, more than a year later than originally planned, after a lack of incentives to introduce electric cars locally drove Volkswagen head office to push Australia down the priority listVolkswagen Australia managing director, Michael Bartsch, says Australia is "in danger of losing its place in the queue for EVs because this country's automotive regulations have fallen behind the first-world norm"..."Australia also remains mired in Euro 5 and the outmoded (European) testing cycle while much of the world has moved onto Euro 6 and WLTP testing," Mr Bartsch said today in a media statement..."Such backwards markets may not be prioritised for new technology of all types - including (electric cars)," said Mr Bartsch.

In the meantime, Volkswagen has released key details on the new Golf-sized electric car in Germany. Drive's Europe correspondent Greg Kable reports Volkswagen has confirmed it will offer up to three different battery capacities with ranges of 330km, 420km and 550km on the latest and more stringent WLTP economy test cycle. Holding true to Volkswagen’s earlier claims that the ID.3 would be priced at similar points to mid-level versions of the seventh-generation Golf, the first in an extended range of dedicated models to be launched by the German car maker under its new ID. electric car brand costs €30,000 (AU$47,896) in entry-level 330km-range guise in Germany. This compares to the €27,285 (AU$43,557) price tag of the Golf 1.5TSI ACT BlueMotion in Comfortline trim in Germany. Volkswagen Australia says it is too early to provide a cost estimate locally but aims to not price the vehicle out of reach when it eventually arrives in local showrooms in 2022.