Pricing unveiled for new Volkswagen electric SUV slated for Chattanooga assembly

Mar. 1—This story was updated on Monday, March 1, 2021, at 5:41 p.m. with additional information.

Pricing for Volkswagen's first electric SUV will start at $39,995 before a potential $7,500 tax credit, according to the German automaker.

Sales for the 2021 ID.4 Pro are launching this year in the United States with the vehicles built first in Germany and then at VW's Chattanooga production plant in 2022, the company said.

The compact SUV will launch with rear-wheel-drive 201-hp 82 kWh models with an all-wheel-drive 82 kWh configuration available later this year.

The vehicle will have an EPA-estimated 250 miles of range on Pro S and 1st Edition RWD models, according to VW.

In addition, the ID.4 will offer three years of fast charging with Electrify America at no additional cost, and the vehicle will offer a modern design paired with high-tech features such as IQ.DRIVE advanced driver assistance technology and a smart infotainment system, using voice and touch, the company said.

The ID.4 can provide as much as $3,500 in estimated fuel cost savings over five years compared to the average gas vehicle, according to VW.

The battery is comprised of 288 pouch cells in 12 modules, the company said. It is positioned in the under-body to create a low center of gravity for optimal driving dynamics as well as well-balanced weight distribution and weighs 1,087 pounds, VW said.

Volkswagen is completing an $800 million expansion at the Chattanooga assembly plant to produce the ID.4. The company has said it has plans to hire 1,000 more employees at the plant.

"It's a compact SUV, and there's not an electric vehicle landing in that space," Scott Keogh, Volkswagen Group of America's chief executive, said. "We like that dealers will have what no one else has."