A new car which German motoring giant Volkswagen hopes will become a best seller in Britain has arrived in Grimsby ahead of its launch in the UK.

VW described the moment at the town’s port as a “major milestone” as the first batch of VW ID.3 cars rolled off a transporter ship under the shadow of the Dock Tower earlier this week.

It has been described as a next generation family car from VW following the global success of the iconic Beetle and the Golf.

The car is VW’s first purpose-built electric model and was described by the company as ground-breaking. Prices will start from around £38,000.

The cars were met by VW officials and the GBA automotive logistics team in Grimsby, where a long relationship has been forged, before being loaded on to car transporters for delivery to dealers across the UK.

The event also reinforced the key role the town plays in the European car import and export market, with the German manufacturer a key partner in the development of Grimsby River Terminal, alongside ABP and GBA.

Port of Grimsby is one of the UK’s leading automotive logistics centres, with recent years seeing half a million vehicles handled annually – with the £26 million advanced finger pier – a 2013 addition to future-proof the docks – the centre-piece. 

The first delivery featured ID.3 1ST Edition specification models. The car uses a 58 kWh battery and a 204 PS electric motor driving the rear wheels. It has a range of 261 miles and can rapid-charge at 100 kW, which can add 180 miles of range in as little as 30 minutes.

The ID.3 is also carbon-neutral “up to the point of handover to the customer”, including its shipping across the North Sea from its starting point at VW’s plant in Zwickau, Germany.

Andrew Savvas, managing director at Volkswagen UK, said: “The moment we’ve been waiting for is here – the ID.3 has officially arrived in the UK.

“This milestone represents the dawn of a new mobility era for Volkswagen after the success of the Beetle – and ongoing success of the Golf – with the aim of providing accessible electric mobility for millions, not just millionaires. The ID.3 is also our first carbon-neutral car, as well as being an all-round, game-changing electric vehicle, so this moment is especially rewarding. Put simply, it signposts the sustainable future of Volkswagen.

“I can’t wait to see these first ID.3 cars out on the road, after customers collect them from retailers later this month. This is only the beginning, however, with the series versions of the ID.3 incoming, and the ID.4 on its way. The future is now.”

ABP has recently expanded the footprint for car-handling, taking a large swathe of the neighbouring Tioxide site to create a further terminal, with early stage feasibility work on expanding the outer dock terminal also ongoing.