Volkswagen wants you to believe it’s democratizing electric power. The ID.Polo that hits showrooms in 2026 is supposed to be the proof, with a headline starting price of €25,000 ($29,400/£21,800). The catch is that when the order books open, that price will be more of a concept than a reality.

According to dealer sources who spoke to German media, customers will be able to configure the ID.Polo from April 2026. That much appears to be on schedule.

Related: VW Cancels ID. Buzz For 2026 As Dealers Warn It Might Be Over

But initially, only the more powerful 208 hp (155 kW / 211 PS) version, fitted with a larger 52 kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery, will be available. That version is expected to land well above the headline price, with estimates circling closer to €30,000 ($35,300/£26,100) or more, depending on equipment and regional taxes.

The reason is battery supply. The affordable 114 hp (85 kW / 116 PS) base version and the 133 hp (99 kW / 135 PS) mid-ranking variant uses a simpler and cheaper 37 kWh battery that offers less range, but makes the price work. But that battery won’t be ready at launch, Germany’s Handelsblatt reports.

Volkswagen has confirmed that the entry level version will follow later, blaming the delayed availability of the lower cost cells rather than any sudden change of heart about pricing.

Weeks or months?

Officially, Volkswagen says the delay will only be a few weeks. Dealers, though, are less optimistic. Some suggest it could be six months or even longer before the true budget version is actually available to order.  “The longest we’ve heard is that it could take up to six or even nine months until the smaller battery is actually available,” one of them told the news outlet.

That gap matters because much of the ID.Polo’s marketing pitch has been built around that €25k figure – except for the upcoming GTI version, the first electric VW to carry those letters.

It is not an unusual strategy. Automakers often launch with higher margin versions first to cover costs, manage supply and just milk fans who are desperate to be the first on their street to own a certain new model and are happy to pay a premium for that privilege.

The difference, Handelsblatt suggests, is in expectations. Volkswagen has positioned the ID.Polo as a political and cultural milestone, the electric car for the masses that finally makes EV ownership feel normal and affordable.

When that affordable version isn’t immediately available, disappointment is inevitable, even if the strategy makes business sense.