Volkswagen I.D. Previews The German's Electric Future

[William Maley]

---

The diesel emission scandal has left Volkswagen battered and bruised. In an effort to try and salvage their image and business, the company is going all in on electric vehicles. Before the start of the Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen revealed the I.D. concept. Volkswagen says this concept when it goes into production in 2020 will be as groundbreaking as the Beetle.

We don't know much about the I.D. except for some details,

• About the size of a Golf
• Uses Volkswagen's new Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB)
• Electric motor produces 125kW
• Total range between 400 to 600 Kilometers (about 249 to 373 Miles)
• Not sure if this means the vehicle will feature different battery options
• Fully autonomous mode for the model coming in 2025

We'll have more details when the I.D. makes its auto show debut tomorrow. 

Source: Volkswagen

Press Release is on Page 2

---

I.D. – THE WORLD PREMIERE
Sep 28, 2016

Paris Motor Show - Mondial de l'Automobile 2016

• World premiere of the I.D. starts the countdown to a new era for Volkswagen
• Volkswagen plans for the visionary I.D. to hit the road in 2020
• An ambassador: the I.D. is the first Volkswagen of a new fleet of electric cars
• It runs and runs: the I.D. has a range of 400 to 600 kilometres
• Ready for the future: the I.D. concept car demonstrates a fully automated mode for the year 2025

Key facts – the I.D. in keywords

1. I.D. is the first Volkswagen in a completely new fleet of highly innovative electric vehicles.
2. I.D. is immediately recognisable as a zero-emission vehicle thanks to a newly developed design DNA for electric cars.
3. I.D. is driven by an electric motor with an output of 125 kW and has a range of between 400 and 600 kilometres on a single battery charge.
4. I.D. has an interior that offers an entirely new spatial experience with the Open Space.
5. I.D. will be launched as a compact electric car in 2020 parallel to the Golf.
6. As a concept car, I.D. gives us a first tangible glimpse of fully automated driving – this mode will be offered from 2025 onwards.
7. I.D. retracts its multifunction steering wheel into the dashpad when in fully automated mode ("I.D. Pilot").
8. I.D. can receive parcels using a new delivery service, if its owner isn't at home.
9. I.D. is the first compact Volkswagen based on the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB).
10. Volkswagen has set itself the goal of selling a million electric cars a year by 2025.

View full article

[G. David Felt]

Funny how it seems to be a copy of the Bolt but with a VW badge on it.

Funny how it seems to be a copy of the Bolt but with a VW badge on it.

[smk4565]

373 miles of range is outstanding, but what does that cost?  All EVs come down to cost, if it costs $50k, no one is buying it.  If it costs like $29k, this could be what the Beetle was for them 60 years ago.

[Guest Howie]

8 hours ago, smk4565 said:

373 miles of range is outstanding, but what does that cost?  All EVs come down to cost, if it costs $50k, no one is buying it.  If it costs like $29k, this could be what the Beetle was for them 60 years ago.

At what cost, and when ? The first units are 4 years away with a base range of 249 miles, which is where the Bolt is right now... per European standards. The same standards that give the Leaf a 155 miles range (vs 107 in US)... VW taunting it as "revolutionary" sound like marketing from old GM : "We screwed it but we're big so look at how great we'll be in a few years".

[Frisky Dingo]

Make it look like that and put an attractive lease offer on it, and I'd make one of these my daily commuter and go ahead and pick up a used 911.