Slow sales are reportedly pushing VW to discontinue an electric SUV
After a slow start, Volkswagen Group’s electric vehicle push is showing strong results. In the first half of the year, the automaker’s global EV sales jumped 47% to roughly 465,000 units, securing an 11% share of the worldwide market. But not all models are benefiting equally—one is already slated for retirement.
According to Autocar, the ID.5 could be dropped as early as 2027, ending its run after just seven years with no successor planned. The coupe-style electric SUV has struggled to gain traction in Europe, where buyers favor the roomier, more conventional ID.4. Its absence from the U.S. lineup further limited its appeal.
Interestingly, the ID.5 technically leads VW Group’s EV sales in the first half of the year—but only because its figures are combined with the ID.4’s. Of the 84,900 units sold through June, the standard ID.4 accounted for most of them. The ID.3 ranked second with 60,700 units, followed by the Audi Q4 E-Tron and Q4 E-Tron Sportback at 44,600.
The ID.5’s rumored discontinuation also casts doubt on the future of its Ford twin, the Capri. Ford revived the name for a similar coupe-like EV last year, but has already scaled back production amid “rapidly deteriorating market conditions for electric vehicles,” according to a spokesperson cited by Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.
Dropping the ID.5 is part of a larger VW shake-up targeting underperforming models. The company has already ended the Passat sedan and Arteon, may cut the Touareg in 2026, and will retire the T-Roc Cabriolet in 2027. Plans for a smaller ID. Buzz to replace the Touran have also been shelved.
Still, VW isn’t abandoning variety. Alongside new crossovers like the upcoming ID.2 X, the automaker is preparing two affordable electric hatchbacks: the €25,000 ID.2 in 2026, followed by the €20,000 ID.1 in 2027.
