VW's Expanding EV Lineup
In recent years hybrid crossovers and SUVs have dominated the best-selling lists for new vehicles sold in America. But it looks like sedans are coming back into fashion in the form of exciting all-electric cars by top automakers. Case in point, the all-new Aero B by Volkswagen, also known as the ID.7. The German car company plans to build 1.3 million EVs next year and will spend $7 billion to build electric cars in North America. It says it will offer 25 new models by 2030.
To that end, VW is currently assembling ID.4 models in its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant and another one in Puebla, Mexico. The company is also currently scouting locations for a battery factory in America. “American ingenuity and manufacturing know-how are at the heart of our strategy for growth, and thousands of men and women are working hard every day throughout North America to bring the Volkswagen brand to life for consumers,” according to Scott Keogh, head of Volkswagen Group of America. The hope is to transform VW into a leading EV brand known for innovation and quality.
The next car on Volkswagen’s drawing boards is a sleek sedan based on the Aero concept vehicle. The Aero B design, now badged as the ID.7, will be the successor to the Passat as a premium, global electric sedan that will compete with the Hyundai Ioniq 6. The automotive press suggests that the new car will have a starting price of around $45,000 and will debut in America by the end of 2023 as a 2024 model year sedan. Though crossovers have been leading the EV revolution, there will be at least fifteen new EV sedans debuting in America by 2026.
The VW ID.7 Will Offer a Refined, Forward-Thinking Style
The ID.7 will be offered in four- and five-door versions but will be a true sedan with a trunk, not available as a hatchback. It will continue the same sporty design language seen in the ID.3 and ID.4. The forward-thinking exterior will offer IQ.Light LED matrix headlights, set in a stylish hood and vertically positioned air vents and mesh grille. A sloping roofline gives the car the silhouette of a refined coupe. Following in the tire treads of the Aero concept vehicle which boasted an aerodynamic drag coefficient of just 0.23 C, the ID.7 will no doubt cut through the wind with the greatest of ease.
Inside, the spacious cockpit is a minimalist’s dream, much like the ID.4 in its use of quality materials, a sweeping dashboard, and floating digital displays. The push button controls on the steering wheel are also much like the ID.4. Expect luxury and comfort, heated seats, a large and prominent infotainment touchscreen with every modern convenience at your fingertips.
Volkswagen's MEB+ Platform
The ID.7 will be the first Volkswagen on the market to utilize the company’s MEB+ platform that will increase the car’s charging rate to 200 kW, reducing charging time, and increasing its driving range to a staggering 435 miles. That’s almost one hundred miles more range than offered by the ID.3 Pro S. VW says a ten-minute charge at Level 3 will add 143 miles of range. Another plus involves the Seven’s automated driving functions which come mighty close to autonomous travel.
According to VW, the new MEB+ platform includes more efficient battery packs with major power on tap and that the top-of-the-line version of the ID.7 will have a battery capacity of 84 kWh. The aerodynamic shape of this sedan will offer less rolling resistance and more aerodynamic efficiency to make the most of its single motor rear-wheel drive version or its double all-wheel drive variant.
A sportier GTX trim level is predicted to have a zero to 60 mph time of around five seconds. It will receive larger alloy wheels, gloss black panels and redesigned bumpers. In fact, Silke Bagschik, Chief Marketing Officer for the ID. Digital at Volkswagen says that all of the automaker’s future EVs will include a sizzling GTX version.
If all this is not enough, the ID.7 will be equipped with bi-directional charging allowing electricity to flow both in and out of your car. Who knows, you might even be able to sell your car’s excess power back to the electricity grid.
When Can You Get a Volkswagen ID.7?
The ID.7 is a priority project at VW and is on the fast track to showrooms in America. After all, Volkswagen is rushing towards its target of selling 1.5 million EVs by 2025. Production models will roll out in China first, then European countries and North America. You should be able to get behind the wheel of this electrifying sedan in late 2023 or early 2024. Volkswagen hopes to convert 55 percent of its sales in the U.S. to electric vehicles by 2030.
