The second in a series of first-drive reviews – this time around from Thomas Geiger – reveals that the ID. relies on a 150-kW electric motor for propulsion. That’s 204 PS for Europe and 201 horsepower for the United Kingdom and United States, which sounds like a lot when compared to the 2.0 TSI in the Golf GTI.
On the other hand, Volkswagen limited the top speed of the ID. to somewhere in the ballpark of 160, maybe 180 km/h (100 to 112 mph). Geiger also talks about three battery options, with the third and largest of the lot to follow in the second half of 2020.
Chief technology officer in charge of the e-Mobility product line Frank Bekemeier confirmed that even in entry-level specification, the ID. (or I.D. Neo, whatever it will be called) will be capable of 330 kilometers (205 miles) under the WLTP. On the other side of the spectrum, range extends to more than 500 kilometers (311 miles) for the compact-sized electric hatchback.
Expected to be priced similar to a diesel-powered Golf, the ID. is rear-wheel drive as a nod to the Beetle and for packaging reasons. Customers will also be offered an option to charge the car at 125 kW, which sounds alright provided that you can find a station that charges at that rate.
Although the dashboard is camouflaged like there’s no tomorrow, the prototype in the following video appears to feature the type of multimedia touchscreen that Tesla uses in the Model 3. Not the same, but similar in design and integration. Even more surprisingly, the diameter of the steering wheel appears to be on the small side of things.
Volkswagen expects 15 to 20 percent of their sales volume to be EV by 2025, with the ID. family serving as the building block towards this goal. For reference, the Wolfsburg-based automaker and its 11 subsidiary brands managed to deliver 10.7 million vehicles in 2017.
In the long run, Volkswagen wants to take the EV crown from Tesla. Towards this goal, the ID. and subsequent models will be engineered for and sold in the three most important markets for electric vehicles: the United States, People’s Republic of China, and Europe.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News