Volkswagen creates ID.4 electric car
The network posted images of the all-electric SUV Volkswagen ID.4, which demonstrates the interior stuffed with technology. We see touch screens and comfortable illumination of the instrument model used to communicate with the driver.
In short: ID.4 seems to strike a balance between austere minimalism and a selection of toggles, switches, and touchscreens. While the images available do not provide a complete picture, details on the ID.4 will be revealed at the end of the month.
However, we can already see the interior design and its functionality. The new car from Volkswagen suggests that a lot is at stake. The ID.4 is part of the company's Transform 2025+ strategy to invest €11bn ($13bn) in electric vehicles by 2024.
The ID.4 is the second EV to use the German automaker's MEB (Modular Electric Array) platform. It is a flexible modular system (actually a matrix of common parts) for the production of electric vehicles, which VW says makes the process more efficient and cost-effective. And this is the first ID model to be sold in North America. The first car, called the ID.3, will only be sold in Europe.
Interior ID.4
Looking inside the cabin, you can see two digital screens. One is located in the line of sight of the driver, the other is a larger touch screen in the center. It is worth noting the height of the center console. It rises above the dashboard, perhaps so that the driver does not have to look at the screen from above. There are also several physical switches visible at the bottom of this touchscreen.
Active driver assistance systems can be controlled via physical buttons located on and to the right of the steering wheel. There are also several buttons on the steering wheel itself for adjusting the volume and activating voice commands.
Volkswagen is seriously engaged in interior lighting, namely the light strip under the windshield. The automaker calls it ID. The name seems to suggest that this feature will find its way into other ID models as well.
The light is designed to “support” the driver, it signals when the vehicle's drive system is active and, for example, when the car is opened / closed. The light bar also reminds you to brake, shows incoming phone calls, and flashes to recommend a lane change.
The automaker has upgraded the key to an attractive-looking key fob with three buttons to lock and unlock the doors and trunk. For those who are not particularly familiar with Volkswagen cars, keys usually have a so-called flip design (flip key).
Volkswagen said the ID.4 will come with a panoramic sunroof, and seat covers made from faux leather will be available on two future limited-edition ID.4 models. It is specified that these seats are made from a combination of leatherette and ArtVelours microfiber, which consists of 20% recycled PET bottles.
The ID.4 will be manufactured and sold in China, Europe and the US. Production will begin at a plant in Zwickau, Germany, in which VW has invested about €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion) to turn it into a facility dedicated exclusively to the production of electric vehicles. By next year, the Zwickau plant will produce 300,000 electric vehicles annually.
Last month, VW Group board member Thomas Ulbrich revealed that the ID.4 would be produced at two factories this year in China. The company's plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will be connected to production in 2022.
