It’s been a few years since VW had a sedan above the Passat in its range. The VW Phaeton was underestimated during its production, the sales figures remained below expectations. With the battery-electric VW ID.7, Volkswagen is making a new attempt in the direction of the luxury class. It also becomes clear how the modular electrical construction kit will continue. VW is showing a camouflaged prototype at CES in Las Vegas.
With a length of almost five meters, the VW ID.7 towers over the Passat by almost 20 cm. It is about as long as a Mercedes EQE and the upcoming BMW i5. The wheelbase of the ID.7 measures 2.97 m, which suggests there is plenty of space in the interior. Under the camouflage film, streamlined shapes are emerging, with Volkswagen using the cW-Value not revealed yet.
Advances in charging power and battery
VW also keeps other technical data secret. On the further developed basis of the modular electrical construction kit, internally called MEB+, clear progress should be visible in terms of energy content and charging capacity. So far, however, there are only a few vague key data: The range is said to be up to 700 km, made possible by excellent aerodynamics and an enlarged battery. So far, the peak in the MEB has been reached at 77 kWh. If the 700 km cycle is reasonably realistic, the battery will have more than 100 kWh energy content.
The sedan is around five meters long and has a wheelbase of 2.97 m. This promises ample freedom of movement in the interior.
VW ID.7: NMC811 coming?
The material mix of the battery cells in the VW ID.7 is also a secret at the moment. So far, NMC622 has been installed in the MEB, i.e. six parts nickel and one part each manganese and cobalt. As has often happened with the competition, VW may reduce the proportion of manganese and cobalt, resulting in a mixing ratio of NMC811.
VW also promises progress in charging speed, there is talk of “more than 200 kW”. Up to 170 kW have so far been possible in some cases in the MEB. What is exciting, however, is less the promotionally effective indication of the peak power, but under which conditions it can be used and for how long. Because that ultimately determines how long the charging break is in practice. Since this is a further development and not a new platform, the voltage level remains at 400 volts.
Charge faster, drive further: With up to 200 kW charging power and a maximum range of around 700 km, the ID.7 should offer more than the previous electric cars from VW.
Classy inside
The ID.7 should no longer have anything in common with the harsh galley charm of the previous MEB models. Otherwise, the claim of wanting to play seriously in the upper segment would hardly be credible to sell. It is therefore to be expected that VW will return to a certain superficially high-quality impression. It is striking that the brand has also responded to criticism in a number of other places. The sliders are retained, but are now finally illuminated. Instead of the cheap-looking, free-standing mini screen in which the instrument cluster is housed, this is now sunk again in the ID.7. The operation has been further simplified, promises VW. It can also be expected that VW will continue to improve the software until the start. An ID.Buzz that my colleague Christoph had in the test gave hope in this regard. The infotainment system is still not particularly fast, but at least it was stable.
VW has retained the idiosyncratic savings idea of no longer placing separate buttons in the driver’s door for the rear window regulators. If you want to open or close the windows in the rear, you have to switch the buttons at the front. The automatic climate control in the ID.7 is supposed to be innovative. As soon as the driver approaches the car, depending on the outside temperature, it starts to air-condition the interior. The system should reach the target temperature particularly quickly, because the ventilation nozzles can move automatically and thus distribute the air flow in different directions.
The ID.7 dashboard is said to be of higher quality than in previous VW electric cars. A hurdle that should be easy to overcome.
From the summer at the dealers
The ID.7 is scheduled to be launched in China, Europe and the USA from the middle of this year. VW will probably only name prices in the course of the spring, although a bargain is not to be expected. The large battery alone will reliably prevent this. The competition shows where things could go financially. A Mercedes EQE 300 is currently available from 66,402 euros. It will probably not be much less with the VW ID.7 with a slightly larger memory.
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(mfz)
