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Volkswagen: First electric SUV to land in Australia below $50,000

Volkswagen's range of electric vehicles is about to hit the roads in Europe, with Australia lagging a couple of years behind.


When the Volkswagen ID.4 does finally arrive Down Under, however, it's expected to have a starting price under $50,000.

Speaking to media after the Frankfurt motor show, Volkswagen Australia product planning boss, Jeff Shafer said he's looking forward to welcoming the ID electric range and is confident it'll be sharply priced.

"Ah look, I'm an optimist," he said. "And I would like to see something under $50,000. If we could bring in that ID SUV [the ID.4] in that space, I think it'd be very successful in a lot of ways.

"But as Michael [Bartsch, VW Australia managing director] said, it's a long journey compared to where we are at today," said Shafer.

"I had that meeting again today. And without saying anything I shouldn't, we have a couple of meetings coming up in November, where we are going to be having this discussion again."

SUVs have overtaken the rest of the market in terms of popularity, continuously representing over 50 per cent market share – and recently hitting a 60 per cent sales mix if you exclude light commercial vehicles, like the Toyota HiLux.

Volkswagen is betting its ID.4 product will resonate best with Australian buyers, with expected performance and range similar to that of the recently-revealed ID.3.

Volkswagen expects its first electric vehicles to arrive in 2022, with the local delay being blamed on the unknowns around supply chain capacity and popularity of the car.

“The fundamental issue that we're facing is that we are blinded by the reality of being south of the equator," Bartsch said.

"This is all going to go out in the Northern hemisphere first. I think there's a reluctance to do an absolutely fixed date yet because the launch of the car and so many of the things that drive the car are so untested.

"I don't mean technically. I mean the supply line on batteries, the production capacity."

The ID.4 will be followed by a range of electric vehicles including the ID.3 in the years to come.

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