VW ID family
Volkswagen has generated a lot of buzz with the names for its upcoming series of electric cars: I.D., I.D. Crozz, I.D. Lounge, I.D. Vizzion, and I.D. Buzz, for its recreation of the iconic Microbus.
Keep in mind that these are all the names of the concept vehicles, not necessarily the production vehicles. But now a report in VW Vortex last week confirms that VW has trademarked names for the electric cars with the Intellectual Property Office of the European Union.
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The names VW trademarked are I.D. 1, I.D. 2, I.D. 3, I.D. 4, etc. all the way through I.D. 9.
The move suggests a couple of things about VW’s strategy:
First, it might, if they want to use the full swath of badges, have nine more-or-less affordable electric cars on the market in Europe based on its new MEB electric-car architecture.
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These will likely include the basic Golf-size I.D. hatchback (not necessarily the I.D. 1), the $21,000 entry-level model that VW announced earlier this month, and production cars based on the concepts known as the I.D. Crozz crossover, the large I.D. Lounge sedan, and the long-awaited I.D. Buzz.
That leaves four more models we don’t know about.
European car-buyers have long preferred—or at least been more accepting of numbers for car names than Americans. The numbers usually denote a hierarchy in capability, power, or size.
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Americans have expressed an interest in actual names for cars, which is becoming difficult as automakers have trademarked more and more pronounceable, comprehensible, and relevant words—even misspelled—for cars. As a kind of compromise, automakers have turned to letter combinations, such as Acuras with its lineup of ILX, TSX, TL, RLX, RDX, MDX, and NSX. Over X-ed yet?
Since VW only trademarked the I.D. 1 through 9 names in Europe, perhaps the cars could retain their concept names when they make it to America.