It would appear VW’s chief designer Jozef Kabaň is working on a fresh design that would give the entry-level EV a far more modern appearance. The somewhat retro-flavored styling of last year’s concept has fallen out of favor and now the team is busy with a clean-sheet redesign. The decision has reportedly been taken to better cater to young buyers, which the ID Life will target since it’ll cost around €20,000 before incentives.

Automobilwoche claims VW wants to “captivate young customers in terms of multimedia and connectivity.” The production version could go by the name of ID.2, possibly with an “Urban” suffix. The same publication alleges it will be just about the same size as the Polo supermini but as spacious on the inside as the compact Golf.

That seems plausible since the car will ride on the MEB Small platform created for front-wheel-drive EVs. Being a dedicated architecture for electric vehicles, it would allow the engineers to shorten the overhangs to maximize the wheelbase while still fitting into the B-segment. A year later, in 2026, the ID.2 Urban could spawn an ID.2 X crossover derivative in the same vein as the subcompact Polo has a T-Cross equivalent.

Meanwhile, VW has brought back the e-up! it had to temporarily retire from the market to clear a large backlog of orders. It begins at €26,895 in Germany, but the final price can be as low as €17,325 after factoring in EV-related incentives. It offers a 32.2-kWh battery with a maximum range of 258 kilometers (160 miles) in the WLTP cycle.

Source: Automobilwoche (subscription required)

The post VW ID Life Concept Being Redesigned For 2025 Production Model: Report appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

In an interview with Auto Express magazine, VW’s sales and marketing boss Klaus Zellmer said the goal – in the long run – is to come out with a GTX derivative for every ID-badged electric car. Such a model would follow the already unveiled ID.4 GTX and the forthcoming ID.5 GTX compact electric SUVs, both of which have all-wheel drive and just under 300 horsepower. In the near future, possibly as early as 2022, the ID.3 GTX will be added to the lineup as a production version of the ID.X concept.

Bear in mind that while all the larger ID models mentioned above ride on the rear-wheel-drive-based MEB version, the ID. Life sits on a shorter configuration of the platform and features a FWD setup. The concept from IAA had a sole e-motor good for 231 horsepower (172 kilowatts) and 214 pound-feet (290 Newton-meters).

The electric punch enabled the Munich showcar to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 6.9 seconds and max out at 112 mph (180 km/h). The production version, at least in the GTX spicy flavor, should be able to deliver these numbers, especially since the electric hot hatch is likely not due until 2026 at the earliest.

A lot could change between now and 2025, let alone 2026, but VW seems to be determined to add some spice to its growing ID lineup of dedicated electric vehicles. The Cupra brand will certainly have its own sporty versions as already seen with the Born, a more athletic derivative of the VW ID.3.

Source: Auto Express

The post VW ID. Life could spawn ID.1 GTX hot electric version appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

The VW ID. LIFE concept that just debuted in Munich is a preview of an actual production car currently in the works, not just some flash auto show concept car to grab some headlines.

“The ID. LIFE is our vision of next-generation fully electric urban mobility. The concept car provides a preview of an ID. model in the small car segment that we will be launching in 2025, priced at around 20,000 euros. This means we are making electric mobility accessible to even more people”, says Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand. “In creating the ID. LIFE, we have consistently focused on the needs of younger customers. We believe that, even more so than today, the car of the future will be about lifestyle and personal expression. The customer of tomorrow won’t simply want to get from A to B; they will be much more interested in the experiences that a car can offer. The ID. LIFE is our answer to this.”

Based on the VW Group’s MEB electric architecture (Audi Q4 e-tron, VW ID.3), the Volkswagen ID. LIFE will be front-wheel drive, which is an MEB-first. Typically, MEB cars are rear-wheel drive-based but the ID. LIFE switches it up. The single front-mounted electric motor will make 172 kW (231 horsepower) and will be able to get the ID. Life from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.9 seconds. The 57 kWh battery pack will provide up to 400 km (249 miles) of range.

Volkswagen didn’t just focus on cost with the ID. LIFE, it focused on sustainability, too. Woodchips were used in the paint’s clearcoat, as a natural coloring agent, along with a bio-based hardener. The air-chamber textile material used for the roof and hood is made from recycled plastic bottles, the interior wood is recycled, and the seats, door panels, and dashboard are made from ArtVelours Eco. Even the tires are made from recycled materials, such as bio-oil, natural rubber, and rice husks.

Inside, there’s a projector and a gaming console, so while the ID. LIFE is parked, you can play video games on the windshield. If you want to plug your own console in, the ID. LIFE has a 240 volt, 16-amp on-board power supply. The front seats can be folded down completely flat, to provide better rear seat space, or all seats can be folded flat to create a bed.

While the yolk-style steering wheel is a foolish idea, as we learned with Tesla, the controls on it are quite clever. Even your drive controls are mounted on the steering wheel. To the right of the wheel, touch-sensitive buttons built into the wood dashboard control lighting. And your smart phone can be mounted to the dash and integrated into the car’s infotainment system, allowing it to control all aspects of the cabin tech.

At around €20,000, it’s hard to not be impressed by the Volkswagen ID. LIFE. It not only packs a handsome design and a nice interior, it comes with great tech and a decent range. We very much hope Volkswagen puts something very similar into production very soon.

The post 2021 IAA: Volkswagen ID. LIFE – The Affordable Electric Vehicle appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.