Cheap models on the MEB+ platform? They exist on paper, but in reality it’s worse. Two years of waiting for the VW ID. Polo Trend.

The issue we have brought to attention several times is back. The cheapest versions of Volkswagen’s cars on the MEB+ FWD platform theoretically exist, but in practice they do not. The stated waiting time for the VW ID. Polo Trend with a 38.5 (37) kWh battery is up to 2 years. This means the model, which will go on sale in 2026 in this specific variant, might not be available until mid-2028 or later. The manufacturer surely has an explanation for why this is beneficial to customers.

Waiting time for VW ID. Polo

According to a table circulating online, the waiting time for the cheapest VW ID. Polo with the Trend trim is “up to 24 months.” Higher trims, Life and Style, are said to be available in “about 8 to 12 months.” Media outlets favorable to Volkswagen highlight this as an advantage, citing “high demand,” “great interest,” “the factory can’t keep up,” and “over 100,000 people interested [in all MEB+ FWD vehicles].” Unfortunately, these claims have one fundamental problem: customers who go to a Volkswagen dealership looking for an electric car at the price of a gasoline vehicle are turned away.

Some people might be persuaded to pay 115,290 or 139,190 zlotys instead of 99,990, since “it’s only 15.3/39.2 percent more,” but a certain portion will simply become dissatisfied and go elsewhere or choose a gasoline vehicle. These latter groups may feel deceived—and that feeling would be entirely justified. The manufacturer’s possible explanation that “only a small fraction of customers choose the lowest trim levels,” even if true (indeed, the cheapest trims typically account for at most 15-20 percent of sales), does not eliminate the sense of disappointment.

But this long wait time may hide a more serious problem. The Trend version is the only one equipped with a small battery and LFP cells. The Life and Style variants come either with a smaller LFP battery or a larger 55 (52) kWh battery built using Li-NMC cells. If Volkswagen is delaying the actual market launch of the Trend edition, could it be that PowerCo, its subsidiary, is struggling to produce LFP cells? Or perhaps it’s facing difficulties securing cathode materials due to China’s strict controls on their export?

Editor’s note from Elektrowozu: It’s quite surprising that just 100,000 orders can extend the waiting time for a car to almost a year. Let’s remember we’re talking about two factories: in Martorell and Papeluna (Spain), with the first capable of producing over 500,000 cars per year and the second having a capacity exceeding 200,000 vehicles annually. Both continue to manufacture gasoline-powered models in addition to electric ones—VW ID. Polo, Cupra Raval, Skoda Epiq, VW ID. Cross.

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