Volkswagen plans to sell the production version of the I.D. in 2020
The Paris Motor Show has introduced Volkswagen most important bet in years. The I.D. Concept, which luckily has not been named EV, is an electric vehicle that Volkswagen wants to be as fundamental in its history as the Beetle and the Golf have been. Its production version should be ready by 2020, but we believe most of its design aspects will remain the same.
The most striking aspect of the new electric car is its range: it will go from 400 km up to 600 km, what makes us believe that Volkswagen will offer different battery packs, just like Tesla. Or that it believes 400 km is the worst case scenario and that a lighted-foot driver could reach longer distances, such as the 600 km mentioned in the pictures above.
The I.D. is 4.1o m long, 1.80 m wide, 1.53 m high and it has a 2.75 m wheelbase. The turning radius is 9.9 m. The new car is build over the MEB platform, which uses an electric engine in its rear axle. It delivers 125 kW, what allows the hatchback to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 8 s and reaches a top speed of 160 km/h.
The strange blue circles on the roof only pop off when the autonomous driving mode, called I.D. Pilot, is activated. They are laser scanners that help guide the car. Volkswagen expects it to be offered in 2025. Another signal that the I.D. Pilot is on are the blue lights all around the car.
Weight distribution is said to be one of the best for rear-wheel drive cars: 48% of it at the front axle and 52% at the rear, what should improve traction. With a fast charger, it is possible to recover 80% of the range in just 30 minutes. Or at least 320 km with the 400 km battery pack.
Volkswagen states the production version of the I.D. will cost as much as a powerful and fully loaded VW Golf. In other words, it will not be the Volks-Elektro-Wagen that was expected before. But this is something government incentives may help Volkswagen achieve. Let’s wait for what the German company will present in the next 4 years.
