VW has taken the wraps off its I.D electric car at the 2017 Consumer Electric Show. Showcased first at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, it is the first vehicle off their new MEB platform and will hit the roads in 2020. This is also their first major future model to be showcased in the U.S post the Dieselgate scandal.
Given that Volkswagen became famous thanks to the hatchback bodystyle, it only seemed logical to make their first new electric model a hatchback. The MEB electric platform which like its IC engined siblings is modular will underpin a variety of models from across the VW stable.
This car sports the lines that have defined the modern VW design. Noticeable elements include the head lamps, wheels, design of the roofline as well as the design of the tail lamps. The cabin is minimalistic and roomy thanks to the need to not have a large engine compartment. The driver gets a large digital instrument cluster while we believe that for the passengers there will be floating displayed built into the seats.
It will be front wheel drive and have a range of around 400kms at the time of the launch which with the progress of technology will expand to 600km giving it the equivalent range of a small family car by today’s engine performance standards. One of the selling points of these cars is expected to be the autonomous driving technology that is expected to take more prominence closer to the launch of the car. It will make its debut (in production form) in 2020 spawning a new era for the German automaker.
