Volkswagen unveils ID.7 with greater than 300 miles EV vary

Volkswagen ID.7

Courtesy Volkswagen

Volkswagen unveiled a new large electric sedan on Monday that it says will have well over 300 miles of range in its top-level trim when it hits the U.S. market next year.

Volkswagen’s new ID.7, as it’s called, will serve as the flagship for the automaker’s growing line of mainstream electric vehicles. The German auto giant said last month that it expects to invest 180 billion euros (almost $200 billion) in future products and technologies by 2027, with more than two-thirds earmarked for “electrification and digitalization.” The company projects that by 2030, electric vehicles will account for about 80% of VW brand sales in Europe and about 50% of sales in the US.

VW hopes that the new ID.7 will play a key role in this. It is a large sedan with a distinctive hatchback design that allows for more headroom in the rear seats and improves the car’s aerodynamic efficiency.

This emphasis on aerodynamics and a brand new, highly efficient electric drive help the ID.7 achieve strong range values: up to 700 kilometers with the optional 86 kilowatt hour battery in the European WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test). procedure) test cycle. (US Environmental Protection Agency EV range ratings are often 10% to 20% lower than WLTP ratings.) Base models will come with a 77 kWh battery that will provide an estimated 382 miles of range on the WLTP cycle, he said the company.

Volkswagen ID.7

Courtesy Volkswagen

Inside, the ID.7 is a spacious, high-tech wonderland – as you would expect from a car designed for a challenge Tesla‘s Model 3 in markets around the world.

In addition to the now ubiquitous large touchscreen, all ID.7s will come standard with a heads-up display that replaces most traditional dashboard instruments with images projected into the driver’s field of vision.

Above the passengers is a large auto-dimming sunroof – standard on the US-bound ID.7s – which, like many other features in the car, can be controlled with voice commands.

Production of the ID.7 for Europe will begin in the second half of 2023 at the VW plant in Emden, Germany; Production of the ID.7 for Chinese customers will begin in China before the end of the year. ID.7 for North America will also be built in Germany and will be available from dealers from 2024.

Read more about electric vehicles from CNBC Pro