ID. Polo: How Volkswagen Made the Classic All-Electric

Volkswagen has announced its first electric Polo model, the ID. Polo, updating the bestseller as an EV. 

Over 50 years, more than 20 million units of the Polo have been sold across six generations.

This comes as Volkswagen grapples with a 14% decline in profit in Q1 of 2026, which follows an announcement earlier this year that it would cut 50,000 jobs across its European operations. 

The first electric Polo

This car has a range of 454 km and offers fast charging from 10% to 80% in 24 minutes.

The ID. Polo will be available in three output levels with 85 kW (116 PS), 99 kW (135 PS) and 155 kW (211 PS).

Volkswagen says that the car is fitted with modern assistive systems such as Connected Travel Assist or Park Assist Pro as well as steering wheel buttons for air conditioning control.

The new ID. Polo is the first production model to follow the new Volkswagen Pure Positive design.

Andreas Mindt, Head of Design at Volkswagen, says: “With the ID. Polo, we wanted to create an interior that feels like a friend from the very first encounter. 

“Clear physical buttons promote a feeling of stability and confidence, warm-looking materials give it a genuinely likeable aura, while lovable details such as our new ‘retro display’ allow Volkswagen’s unmistakable charisma to shine through. The ID. Polo is a compact car with a big heart, Pure Positive in its purest form.”

Volkswagen says that pre-sales of the first electric Polo will start as soon as the end of April 2026. 

Volkswagen’s profit drop

In Q1 of 2026, Volkswagen’s operating result was €2.5bn (US$2.9bn). Volkswagen was 14.3% below its Q1 2025 result of €2.9 billion. (US$3.11bn)

The company has already announced plans to cut 50,000 jobs across its European operations as it grapples with declining profits and challenging market conditions. 

Volkswagen's CEO, Oliver Blume, said when announcing first quarter results: “The world is undergoing fundamental change – and we are aligning our strategy consistently. 

“Wars, geopolitical tensions, trade barriers, stricter regulations and intense competition are creating headwinds. In this challenging environment, we have managed to make tangible progress.”

Volkswagen and Chinese competition

The Volkswagen ID.Polo was developed within the Group as a joint project of the Brand Group Core. It will be launched in Germany at prices starting from €24,995 (US$29,321), making it one of the group’s cheapest models. 

This comes as Volkswagen faces fierce competition from Chinese automakers from brands such as BYD that can manufacture EVs both quicker and more cost effectively than European carmakers. 

The German carmaker is also diversifying into the Chinese market, having partnered with XPENG as part of its own “In China, for China” strategy, with the jointly developed ID.UNYX 08 EV recently rolling off the production line.