L.A. Auto Show 2017: Volkswagen tackles electric market with I.D. concept cars
Has Volkswagen identified a winning combination of electric vehicles? It will try with its trio of I.D. cars, designed to draw attention as the company seeks to move past the diesel emissions cheating scandal and speed its transition into an electrified future.
What are they?
Three electric concept cars that will start hitting showrooms by late 2019. The I.D. hatchback, the I.D. Buzz mini-bus and the I.D. Crozz crossover are spearheading Volkswagen ’s major move into electrified cars. At the L.A. Auto Show, all three will appear together for the first time.
Why they matter
The I.D.s “mark the start of a design and technology revolution that is going to change individual mobility and the Volkswagen brand forever,” VW design head Klaus Bischoff puts it. One could argue that the emergence of Tesla, and VW’s diesel-cheating scandal marked the start of this revolution, but why be a downer? The trio does indeed mark the bold beginning of a risky strategy to push Volkswagen into a near future that it bets will be dominated by electric, connected, autonomous cars.
What's new?
The “happy looking” design, as Car & Driver describes it. More fundamentally, the company’s MEB global platform, which was created from scratch exclusively for electric vehicles, will serve as the basis for all of VW’s electric offerings. The company plans to introduce at least 30 electric cars under VW, Audi and the rest of the company’s nameplates by 2025. The cars were designed to accommodate a steering wheel that collapses into the dashboard and front seats that swivel toward the back passengers, ready for autonomous driving when the technology and the regulations allow it.
The competition
The easy answer is Tesla. Plus all the other major auto companies introducing electric vehicles in Tesla’s wake. Perhaps some start-ups too.
The details
Details may change by showroom time, but the Buzz is slated for 369 horsepower with an electric motor on each axle for all-wheel drive, with a 111 kwh battery pack and up to a 300-mile range. The Buzz, according to Volkswagen, recalls the VW Microbus of the 1960s but does not mimic it. Let’s hope not – those old low-powered hippie vans looked cute but huffed and puffed up steep hills. The Buzz retains the two-tone paint style but places an LED light strip down the sides.
All three cars will be “more affordable” than competing vehicles, according to Volkswagen.
The L.A. Auto Show runs Dec. 1-10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Times coverage can be found at latimes.com/autos.
