The Volkswagen ID.3 was the first production car built on Volkswagen Group’s Modular Electric Drive Matrix, known as MEB. Volkswagen presented the compact hatchback as a new electric model rather than an electric version of an existing Golf.
The ID.3 was unveiled in 2019 and deliveries began in Europe in 2020. Its rear-mounted electric motor and battery packaging were designed around the MEB architecture, which was intended to support many different body styles and brands across the Volkswagen Group.
A common mix-up is choosing the ID.4, because that electric crossover became one of the best-known MEB vehicles and followed the ID.3. The ID.Buzz also uses MEB, but it arrived later. MEB should not be confused with Volkswagen’s older e-up! engineering, which was based on a converted small-car platform rather than the company’s dedicated MEB architecture.