Volkswagen I.D. Concept
Volkswagen I.D. Electric Concept have been released at the Paris Auto Show. The I.D. is the brand's first in a fleet of innovative
electric vehicles based around its Modular Electric Drive (MEB) architecture.
The concept previews a unique styling language which will be
present in the automaker's future range of electric cars and is due to go on
sale in 2020.
Driving the I.D. is an electric motor delivering 168
hp and while VW hasn't revealed the size of the model's battery pack, it claims
the concept can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in less than 8
seconds and onto a top speed of 159 km/h. According to the automaker,
under European test conditions the concept has a range of between 400 to 600 km.
It also states that production versions of the I.D.
may be configurable with more or less powerful electric motors as well as well
as battery packs with differing capacities, all depending on what the customer
needs.
As the concept car's battery is local low and in the
center of vehicle, it has a weight distribution of 48:52 per cent front to rear
and is said to provide neutral handling. The battery can be charged via a cable
or thanks to an inductive charging station and in just 30 minutes, the battery
pack can be charged to 80 per cent of its capacity.
The I.D.
is the very first Volkswagen capable of fully automated driving. To enable the
self-driving mode, all a driver has to do is press the Volkswagen logo on the
steering wheel for three seconds and the car will take control and the steering
wheel will retreat into the dashboard.
Guiding the concept are four roof-mounted laser
scanners as well as side area view cameras, a front camera, ultrasonic sensors
and radar sensors. Beyond driving itself, the advanced concept can find a
parking space without any assistance from the driver. To disable the autonomous
driving, all the operator has to do is press the brake or accelerator pedals.
Volkswagen says the autonomous features will be available from 2025.
The I.D. adopts a plethora of unique
technologies. For example, it has an advanced head-up display which projects
virtual images on the windscreen which appear to be up to 49 feet ahead of the
car. When the satellite navigation system is enabled this means that virtual
arrows will be projected to show where the car will turn off.
The concept car also includes a large 10-inch
display which utilizies three transparent layers to display all manner of
information, from navigation, to digital content and through to important
driving data like the car's speed and range.
