Volkswagen I.D. van concept teased – Detroit debut

Volkswagen I.D. van concept teased – Detroit debut

After the first Volkswagen I.D. concept made its debut in Paris in September, the German automaker is gearing up to unveil another one at next year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

However, the new concept appears to be a futuristic take on the classic Microbus rather than a hatchback, based on these teaser images released by VW. In them, we see parts the concept’s front- and rear-end design, where horizontally-placed LED headlamps and taillights are visible, similar to those on the I.D. hatchback.

The frontal view also shows plenty of cues from the original Microbus, with an upright face and windscreen, short overhangs, as well as the V-shaped feature line seen on the original MPV. A modern touch applied here is the illuminated VW badge.

According to VW, the concept “forges links between the legendary origins of the Volkswagen brand and its electrifying future,” and utilises the Modular Electric Platform (MEB), which was first used on another electric van – the BUDD-e Concept.

In this instance, the I.D. van is powered by two electric motors, one on each axle, and offers all-wheel drive. VW says the concept is capable of a “long electric drive range” but did not disclose any figures. The September I.D. hatch is claimed to deliver 600 km of range with a 170 PS electric motor as motivation.

The company also says that the van concept is capable of full autonomous driving, with laser scanners, ultrasonic and radar sensors and cameras used to monitor other road users and the surroundings.

To activate it, one only needs to “lightly” press the Volkswagen logo in the cabin, and the electrically retractable steering wheel disappears into the cockpit, as you can see in one of the teaser images. From there, the driver only needs to relax and the car will drive itself to the desired destination.

As sci-fi as it may sound, the upcoming I.D. van is another step towards VW’s Strategy 2025, where it plans to release a fully autonomous drive mode called I.D. Pilot, as well as more than 30 new pure-electric vehicles by 2025.

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Gerard Lye

Originating from the corporate world with a background in finance and economics, Gerard’s strong love for cars led him to take the plunge into the automotive media industry. It was only then did he realise that there are more things to a car than just horsepower count.

 
 

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