The ID family is the linchpin of the VW brand's ambitious plan to build 1.5 million electric vehicles a year by 2025. The broader VW Group has said it will spend nearly $40bn US production in Chattanooga, Tennessee, near VW's existing factory, is slated for 2022.
Rival General Motors Co has said it expects to build 1 million EVs a year by 2025, mainly in China and the US. The ID.4 and its companion, the ID.3 hatchback, are built on a dedicated EV platform that Volkswagen calls MEB. The same platform will be shared with Ford Motor Co as part of a broader collaboration with the US car maker.
Ford has said it plans to build at least one new EV in Europe on the MEB platform and is considering a second variant. Initial production of the ID.4 has begun at VW's plant in Zwickau, Germany, which was converted to build electric vehicles exclusively at a cost of $1.4bn