VW receives over 30,000 reservations for first purpose-built electric car

More than 30,000 people have put in a reservation for Volkswagen's first purpose-built electric car ID.3, which will be unveiled at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show and is a litmus test for the company's huge electric ambitions. The world's largest carmaker said most of the pre-bookers live in Germany, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. "More than 100,000 further ID. fans have registered for the ID.3 newsletter," VW said. "This success shows that the ID.3 is coming at precisely the right time. More and more people want to switch over to e-mobility.” The reservations are non-binding, but pre-bookers had to deposit 1,000 euros.

The company also said it had finalized a 50/50 joint venture with Swedish battery specialist Northvolt to build a factory for lithium-ion batteries. "With the founding of the joint venture and the planned construction of a battery cell factory in Salzgitter (in Southeast Lower Saxony), we are making a decisive contribution to establishing the core battery cell technology in Germany."

Volkswagen will start deliveries of the ID.3 in 2020, and initial sales will provide a first hint of whether the company's huge bet on battery-electric mobility will pay off. Volkswagen significantly accelerated the switch to electric mobility earlier this year. The company plans to launch almost 70 new electric models by 2028, and expects to build 22 million vehicles on the group’s electric platforms by then.