Hoping to Turn the Page, Volkswagen Shows Its I.D.
Looking something like an unborn child peering with sightless eyes from inside an amniotic sack, the Volkswagen I.D. concept vehicle has been revealed ahead of the Paris Auto Show.
The description is apt, as Volkswagen sees the I.D. as an embryo, heralding a long-range electric vehicle slated for production within four years.
Built on the automaker’s new Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB), the compact EV’s hallmarks are a long wheelbase for maximum interior room (or “open space,” in Volkswagen parlance), a 125 kW electric motor, and a large battery pack. Volkswagen claims a range of 400 to 600 kilometers (249-373 miles) for the production model, which will slot alongside the Golf.
That modular platform will eventually spawn a number of EV models.
With its reputation and finances still dogged by the diesel emissions scandal, the company wants the concept to serve as proof of its eco-friendly product intentions. Volkswagen’s 2025 plan calls for sales of two to three million EVs by that date. It wants to see annual EV sales hit one million that year, too.
After 2025, Volkswagen sees the I.D., or whatever it’s called by then, adopt autonomous driving technology.
While the emissions scandal prompted the automaker to change course for cleaner waters, the multi-billion-dollar U.S. settlement set its plans in stone. As part of Volkswagen’s environmental penalties, it must invest $2 billion into zero-emissions vehicle development.
[Images: Volkswagen of America]
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the compact EV’s hallmarks are a long wheelbase for maximum interior room (or “open space,” in Volkswagen parlance), Otherwise known as Lebensraum
It's probably just me, but this sure looks like it was influenced by the 'Star Child' at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey.