Volkswagen ID.5 review: it’s all gone wrong for VW

When Volkswagen's engineers rigged its cars to cheat emissions tests and got busted for their actions, it triggered recalls, legal actions and resignations. But it also caused VW to drop to its corporate knees promising to atone for its sins with an ambitious electrification plan, starting with a brand-new, ground-up kit of parts from which many battery car models could be made.

Doing this, rather than simply adapting existing tech, is very expensive and, since VW has also paid out millions in fines and compensation, it wants to get its money back by using that electric vehicle hardware under as many models as possible. That's why, in the past four years, we’ve seen a flurry of new electric Volkswagens (and related Audis, Skodas and Seats).