Volkswagen's Next EV Is The ID.7 Sedan With A 430 Mile Range
Volkswagen has returned to CES this year after a six-year hiatus, announcing an addition to its fully electric line-up in the form of a new all-electric sedan called the ID.7. The automaker has been aggressively pursuing the all-electric market, not only with its launch of the ID lineup of electric vehicles but with Electrify America charging stations as well. Volkswagen wants to launch 10 new electric models by 2026, which is a lofty goal.
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The ID.7 is built off the same MEB (modular electric drive matrix) architecture as the ID.3 and ID.4 vehicles. Since launching the MEB platform, Volkswagen has so far delivered over 500,000 vehicles to customers. Those of you who recall the ID.AERO concept vehicle from last year will find the silhouette of the ID.7 to be very familiar. The model will be deployed across three continents — China, Europe, and North America — and will be the second vehicle after the ID.4 to boast a worldwide launch. The ID.7 will have a range of approximately 700 kilometers (about 430 miles) per charge, VW predicts, which should help avert range anxiety among new buyers.
High end on the inside
"With the new ID.7, we are extending our electric model range into the upper segments," Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, said in a press release. "The sedan will offer top-class technology and quality." The ID.7 certainly looks to compete on the higher end of the spectrum with several nice features set to be included as standard on the base model. Those include a new driver display, augmented reality heads-up display, and what Volkswagen calls "smart air vents." The smart air vents will shift to direct air currents, allowing the car to change the interior temperature as fast as possible. That's all based around a 15-inch display that handles infotainment and other controls.
Volkswagen
Additionally, the ID.7 will accept voice commands. Tell the car that your hands are cold, and the steering wheel heater will kick on while the aforementioned smart air vents direct warm air in that direction. Plus, the ID.7 will sense when a driver approaches, so it can turn on the heat or the AC to get the interior to a comfortable temperature before you slide in behind the wheel.
Urban camouflage
The ID.7 also came to CES covered in "smart camouflage." According to Volkswagen, the car "uses unique technology and multi-layered paintwork to create light effects on parts of the vehicle." The ID.7's paint job consists of 40 layers of paint. Some paint has conductive properties while others insulate. In all, 22 different areas of the car can be controlled separately. If there's music playing, the paint can even visualize the music.
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Volkswagen has not announced pricing just yet, so we'll have to wait for those details. The car looks to launch sometime in the second quarter of 2023. In the meantime, we'll be checking out the new EV at the Consumer Electronics Show, so we'll be sure to give you more details as we learn them. For now, we can say the ID.7 looks to be a solid addition to Volkswagen's global electric lineup, joining the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.6, and ID.Buzz.