Some bad news today for anyone in North America who was excited about Volkswagen's ID.7 electric five-door sedan flagship: they'll have to wait longer now to get one. The German automaker decided to delay the launch of its flagship EV on this side of the Atlantic, leaving the ID.Buzz to continue a now-slower electric rollout here.
Volkswagen didn’t provide an updated timeline but said that the decision was made because “market dynamics continue to change.” In other words, it will wait and see what happens with the cooling slowing demand for battery-powered cars before it makes a move.
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The delayed launch of the Volkswagen ID.7 in the United States is the German automaker's latest move in what seems to be a "wait it out" strategy regarding EVs, at least stateside. On a global scale, the maker of the ID.7 said it wants more plug-in hybrids to better cope with market conditions, while remaining commited to an all-electric future.
While EVs are still the fastest-growing segment in cars in North America and several brands are seeing record sales, in many cases those sales haven't been as hot as expected. The ID.7's delay may be a casualty of that trend, or VW is just worried that a more expensive electric sedan won't take off as expected.
Initially, the 2025 Volkswagen ID.7 had a scheduled launch date in Q3 2024 in North America, but now it’s likely that the flagship EV will reach U.S. dealers next year.
Pricing and official EPA range figures have not been provided yet. Instead, we know that the ID.7 will be available stateside in two trim levels and a choice of either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Two wheel sizes will also be on offer.
If—hopefully just when—it eventually comes to the U.S., the ID.7 will be powered by an 82-kilowatt-hour battery pack that might enable a combined range of about 300 miles. The official rating is not yet available, so take this figure with a grain of salt. However, we know from Europe, where the ID.7 has been on sale since 2023, that the same 82-kWh battery offers a maximum WLTP rating of 386 miles on a full charge.
As for pricing, we expect the base ID.7 Pro S RWD with 19-inch wheels to be priced around the $60,000 mark, but we’ll know for sure when Volkswagen makes up its mind. If the ID.7 isn’t canceled on this side of the pond altogether, that is, seeing how its sedans haven’t been particularly well received in America in the past. Both the Passat and Arteon were phased out, with the ID.7 meant to replace them.
Indeed, VW may be focused on SUVs, which America loves more. "In North America, the brand experienced strong sales in Q1, with 27.5% growth, driven by its SUV segment," the automaker said in a statement. "We remain committed to electric mobility—this year we have enhanced the range and performance on our all-electric 2024 ID.4 SUV."
Gallery: 2025 Volkswagen ID.7
The same press release that announced the ID.7’s delay said that the German automaker is keen on launching the 2025 ID.Buzz electric minivan in Q4 2024.
Volkswagen is far from the only car manufacturer rethinking and adapting its initial push for electric vehicles. Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Stellantis and Ford, among others, are cutting development costs for their EV platforms, reducing the number of available trim combinations and adding more hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions to their lineups until the EV adoption rates that were booming at the beginning of the decade get back into play.
While none of those automakers are cutting their electric plans entirely, they are slowing down and moving more debuts toward the end of this decade when battery costs are expected to go down considerably.
