VW shows off 434-mile ID.7 electric saloon with smart camouflage at CES
Long-distance luxury EV takes on Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6
Volkswagen has revealed a camouflaged prototype of its forthcoming ID.7 electric saloon car (sedan to our US friends) at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Already previewed by the ID. Aero concept car presented in China last year, the ID.7 will be the next addition to the ID. model range, offering more than 400 miles between charges when it arrives in the UK later this year.
A rival for the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6, the ID.7 will come with a 15in touchscreen infotainment system. In a bid to tackle some criticisms of other ID. models, the ID.7 will also feature new air conditioning controls integrated into “the first level” of the infotainment system, while illuminated touch sliders will also feature.
Volkswagen admits the changes are the result of customer feedback; an acknowledgement that the first generation infotainment wasn’t well loved.
A new heating system features intelligent technology that can automatically begin to heat or cool the car when the driver is approaching, depending on the outside temperature, and “smart air vents” that can change the flow of air to heat or ventilate the interior more quickly.
All these features will be visible at all times on the top level of the new touchscreen, and customers are also likely to welcome the updated touch-sensitive sliders, which are now backlit so they can be seen at night.
Volkswagen is yet to announce any details about the ID.7’s powertrain, be that its battery or the electric motors that will propel it, but the company has confirmed the car will sit on the same ‘MEB platform’ underpinnings that are used for other ID cars. VW has also confirmed a range of around 700 kilometres (434 miles) for the production version.
This will be achieved with the help of an wind tunnel-honed front section and roof, which help to reduce drag through the air and hence energy consumption, which extends the range. There are also air intakes at the front that guide air down the sides of the vehicle, forming an “air curtain” that reduces drag created by the car’s flanks.
However, those features are made difficult to pick out by the high tech camouflage this car will wear at CES. The car has 40 layers of paint, some of which are conductive while others have insulating properties, and 22 areas of the vehicle’s lower paint layers can be controlled individually to illuminate beneath the top layer. The system can be connected to the sound system, allowing the 22 controllable areas to visualise the rhythm of the music.
The paintwork also includes QR codes on the bonnet and sides to “provide an interface between the physical and digital worlds”. And the QR code theme has been replicated in the paint, hiding the styling of the production vehicle.
“With the new ID.7, we are extending our electric model range into the upper segments,” said Thomas Schäfer, the CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars. “The sedan will offer top-class technology and quality.
“The ID.7 is one of 10 new electric models that we are planning to launch by 2026. Our goal? To deliver suitable products for our customers in every single segment.”
VW has not given any indication of prices or on-sale dates as yet, but the company says the car will premiere during the second quarter of 2023 and it is expected to launch in the UK before the end of the year.
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