The concept ID. kicks off a new generation of innovative concept electric vehicles. The ID. is based entirely on a new architecture developed specifically and exclusively for all-electric vehicles. Freed from the constraints of the combustion engine or the challenges that come with plug-in hybrid vehicles, in the future, the ID. could operate on a different level. Powered by a 125 kW (170 PS) electric motor, the concept ID. could make zero-tailpipe emission driving more widely available.
When Volkswagen unveiled the ID. concept car at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, it also showed how it is looking beyond 2020 toward a future that includes automated driving. Those goals include futuristic ideas such as a steering wheel that can retract into the instrument panel at the push of a button. This could give the driver an entirely different sense of space. The feeling of space is already evident in the design, with a generous interior made possible by placing the motor on the rear axle and the high-voltage battery in the floor.
But perhaps the smartest features are the connectedness and intuitive usability that can engage with the driver’s own preferences. Future potential ID. drivers would have their own Volkswagen ID so they could unlock and start their cars with a compatible smartphone, and store personal settings such as seat position, navigation settings, temperature control, and playlists.
Active Info Display and head-up display are already available in some of Volkswagen’s advanced models. The concept ID. plans to offer even more: no switches, no sticks; just screens.