Autoeuropa has already produced Volkswagen’s first electric vehicles

The new Volkswagen ID.1 has already passed its first test in Palmela. It will share the production line with the T-Roc and feature technology from Rivian.

The first pre-production units of the Volkswagen ID.1 have left the Autoeuropa assembly line. The factory used this initial batch to validate the tools, assembly methods, time per stage, and sequence of operations on the production line.

According to factory sources, the vehicles completed the production line without any anomalies and met all the goals set by the German giant’s Portuguese plant. Following the lead of the ID. EVERY1 prototype (shown in the featured image), Volkswagen’s cheapest electric car will begin production in the last quarter of 2027.

The price is one of the most discussed topics. Volkswagen suggests an entry price below 20,000 euros. According to Volkswagen Group management, the choice of Autoeuropa was crucial in achieving this goal. It will be the most affordable electric vehicle from the German brand.

The ID.1 will be the first model from Volkswagen Group to use the electric and software architecture developed in partnership with the American company Rivian — a company in which Volkswagen holds a significant stake.

The new architecture consolidates functions into fewer control units and will allow adding new features to the car through over-the-air updates throughout its lifespan. The brand will introduce this technology in its smallest and most affordable model before applying it to other electric vehicles in the group.

ID.1 and T-Roc Separated from Birth

The electric vehicle will share the assembly line with the T-Roc, which will continue to be produced in Palmela. As Anabel Andión Lomero, the new general manager of the factory, explained in an exclusive interview with Razão Automóvel, Autoeuropa may adjust the proportion of each model based on demand. With both models in regular production, the factory is expected to operate at full capacity.

Autoeuropa already operates on three shifts and has the capacity to assemble up to a thousand cars per day. In 2025, producing only the T-Roc, it manufactured 240,400 vehicles, the second-best result in its history.

Opened in 1995, the Palmela plant is one of Volkswagen’s most profitable factories. When announcing the choice of Autoeuropa to produce the brand’s entry-level electric vehicle, Volkswagen’s CEO Thomas Schäfer cited the Portuguese factory as one of the most efficient in the group.

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