The pre-production variant of the Volkswagen ID.Evo full-size electric SUV was assembled at the German automakerβs loss-bearing Chinese plant in Anhui. The ID.Evo will enter China in 2026 to catch up with the local market leaders: Aito M9 and Li Auto L9. It is a product of deep collaboration between VW and Xpeng.
The Volkswagen ID.Evo was introduced to the general public at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025 as the newest product from the Volkswagen Anhui company that the German automaker jointly runs with the ex-Nio manufacturer JAC. The ID.Evo is a full-size electric crossover with futuristic exterior styling. It aims to conquer the local market in 2026, fixing the suffering VW Anhui division.
Volkswagen ID.Evo pre-production
The pre-production variant of the Volkswagen ID.Evo, codenamed MM01, rolled off the assembly line at the Volkswagen Anhui factory on May 26. The vehicle was covered with red cloth. So, it is hard to tell how serious its changes are, compared to the concept car shown in Shanghai. It was previously reported that this vehicle will enter the Chinese market in 2026 to rival the Aito M9 from Huawei and Seres.
The Volkswagen ID.Evo was co-developed by Volkswagen Anhui and Xpeng. It is highly likely to adopt Xpengβs E/E architecture, which is utilized by such cars as the Xpeng G9 or the Xpeng G6. The Volkswagen ID.Evo aims at young Chinese customers with modern styling, an 800V high-voltage system, an AI voice assistant, a BEV range of over 700 km (CLTC), and the L2++ driverβs assistance system.
The Volkswagen ID.Evo was created specifically for the Chinese market. It means this model wonβt be sold in other countries. So, Volkswagen is confident that there will be sufficient demand for this car in China alone. However, there is a chance that the ID.Evo will follow the path of the ID.Unyx fastback SUV, previously launched by Volkswagen Anhui. That car suffered from slow sales a lot.
Volkswagen ID.Unyx brief story
We will remind you that Volkswagen Anhui was initially created as a 50:50 joint venture between Volkswagen and JAC in 2017. In 2019, this JV started selling its first model co-developed by JAC and VW, which was the Sol E20X small electric hatchback. This car turned out to be unsuccessful, selling around 4,100 units cumulatively.
Volkswagen acquired the majority stake in the joint venture after the failed launch of the Sol E20X. The company was renamed from JAC-Volkswagen to Volkswagen Anhui. The German automaker and JAC started working on their next project, the ID.Unyx. This is a compact electric fastback SUV based on the Cupra Tavascan. It was launched in China with a starting price of 209,000 yuan (29,000 USD). However, most potential customers of this car called it overpriced. As a result, only 4,438 units of this car were sold from July 2024 to March 2025.
In 2024, Volkswagen Anhui experienced a loss of 1.35 billion yuan (186 million USD). This year, the company will keep accumulating losses due to slow sales of its single mass-produced model. Next year, the Volkswagen ID.Evo could become Volkswagen Anhuiβs chance to increase sales and reduce losses.
