Last week, Volkswagen previewed its upcoming $21,500 electric car by unveiling the ID.Every1 concept. The little hatchback looks awesome, has a space-age cabin with a big ol’ touchscreen and should go at least 150 miles on a charge. As TechCrunch reports, it will be the first VW Group car to use Rivian’s underlying technology.
So there’s a lot to like about the ID.Every1. There’s just one big problem for about 350 million of us: It doesn't seem to be coming to the United States. (VW says it's "from Europe for Europe.")
That sucks. Several years into the modern EV era, America still sorely lacks genuinely affordable electric cars, and some more options could get a lot more buyers to try ditching gasoline. Sure, worries around charging and EV range are hurdles, too. But for mainstream drivers who aren’t EV nerds, any car-buying decision starts and ends with a simple question: What’s this gonna cost me?
It’s not like cheaper EVs don’t or can’t exist; they’re just mainly sold in other markets like Europe and China.
Just last month, Kia unveiled the Concept EV2, a drool-worthy preview of its own super-affordable electric crossover that's destined for Europe and "other regions" but has not been confirmed for the U.S. The chunky little EV is expected to cost around 30,000 euros ($32,500 at today's rate) when it goes on sale next year. It’s far from the only charming, budget EV we Americans can’t buy.
Recent additions to European markets include the $27,000 Fiat Grande Panda, which, besides having a sick name, also sports an awesome built-in charging cord that spools up in its nose. There’s also the delightfully retro Renault 5, which will run you the equivalent of $30,000, and the cutesy Hyundai Inster. China is overflowing with cheap and cheerful EVs like the sub-$10,000 BYD Seagull that’s become the stuff of legend in the auto industry. We may never see those on American shores due to steep tariffs and geopolitical tensions.
Why Is This Happening?
What explains this? For one, the cheap, small car is practically dead in America anyway—no matter the fuel source. It often shocks people to learn that the average price paid for a new car in this country has surpassed $48,000.
Whether it’s because of an American penchant for the open road, decades of policy that allowed for unchecked car bloat or automakers chasing the fat margins of bulkier SUVs and trucks, the reality is that in 2025 America’s market for cheap, small cars is practically nonexistent. All the fun, inexpensive EVs I listed before are compact city cars, and there isn’t really a market for those in America.
Tiny grocery-getters like the Smart ForTwo and Fiat 500 never took off in this country. And U.S. car companies have even stopped selling sedans and hatchbacks altogether in favor of ever-bigger Silverados, F-150s and Yukons. The Ford Focus and Fiesta? Dead. Chevy Cruze? Long gone. Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris? Discontinued.
As transportation electrifies, this is biting American consumers and automakers in the ass. Making bigger internal combustion vehicles is a no-brainer for maximizing profits—because it doesn’t take that much more material to build a bigger gas truck, but you can charge a hefty premium for it.
That kind of strategy simply doesn’t work in the electric era. Batteries are the single costliest part of any EV. And bigger crossovers and trucks need big, expensive batteries that inflate the end price to consumers. Not to mention, more batteries add weight, which necessitates even more batteries to boost range. It's a vicious cycle.
On the flip side, it’s a lot easier to make a small EV affordable and profitable. But, like I said, those aren’t really on the table anymore in the States. That’s how you end up in a situation where the average new EV in America sells for around $56,000.
Moreover, the U.S. has effectively shut out Chinese competition, to protect American industry and national security. So there’s not the same pressure for automakers to come out with affordable EVs in the U.S. that there is in Europe, Asia and South America.
There Are Some Bright Spots
This isn't to say there are zero affordable EVs in the U.S., or that the situation won’t ever improve.
The Nissan Leaf is pretty dated, but does retail for around $28,000. Last year, we got the Chevrolet Equinox EV, which costs $27,500 after tax credits and returns 319 miles of EPA-rated range. Chevy plans to launch a new version of the beloved Bolt EV later this year, and that should cost even less.
The Kia EV3 is also on the way for 2026, with a targeted starting price of around $35,000. Tesla has teased more affordable models coming out in the first half of this year, but we haven’t seen them yet. Meanwhile, battery costs continue to drop precipitously, so the input costs for EVs of all shapes and sizes should fall going forward.
If you don’t want to wait that long, there’s one tried and tested way to land a cheap EV in America, and it doesn't involve smuggling in an ID.Every1 in your luggage piece by piece: Just buy used.
Got a tip about the EV world? Contact the author: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com
