It will be clad in smart camouflage, which uses unique technology and multi-layered paintwork to create light effects on parts of the vehicle. This is an interactive feature and symbolizes the next step in the digitalization of the future flagship model of Volkswagen’s EV family.
The ID. AERO3 concept vehicle that was initially presented in China already provided a preview of the new model, which has an aerodynamic design and is able to achieve a manufacturer’s estimated range of up to 700 kilometers2 for European models based on a simulated WLTP cycle. After a six-year break, Volkswagen Group of America is returning to CES—the world’s largest electronics trade show—with a very special product.
“With the new ID.7, we are extending our electric model range into the upper segments. The sedan will offer top-class technology and quality. The ID.7 is one of 10 new electric models that we are planning to launch by 2026. Our goal? To deliver suitable products for our customers in every single segment,” said Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars.
With its latest MEB model, Volkswagen has responded to customer feedback and improved the user experience. A host of innovations come as standard in the ID.7:
- the new display concept
- the augmented reality head-up display
- a 38-centimeter (15-inch) screen
- digitally controlled air vents
- illuminated touch sliders
The new air conditioning system has intelligent vents and offers a number of functions. For instance, the ID.7 can detect when the driver is approaching with their key and can start to cool the interior on hot summer days or heat the interior on cold days before the driver gets into the vehicle. Newly designed “Smart Air Vents” control the flow of air and move dynamically to distribute the air over large areas as quickly as possible.
If there are passengers in the car, the air can be directed straight to the body or ventilate the interior indirectly. These functions are visible at all times on the new large display and can be activated and saved individually for each user. Special requests can be activated using voice commands. If the user says “Hello Volkswagen, my hands are cold!”, the ID.7 responds by starting the steering wheel heating function. At the same time, warm air is directed towards the driver’s hands.
At the CES in Las Vegas, VW will show the ID.7 in a special way. The camouflaged sedan features a digital design with unique paintwork, which lights up the ID.7 interactively. No fewer than 40 layers of paint have been applied, some of which are conductive while others have insulating properties. A total of 22 areas of the vehicle can be controlled separately and are electrified below the top layer of paint (electroluminescence) so that they light up. If all this is connected to a sound system, the rhythm is visualized by illumination of individual areas.
The QR codes on the hood and on both sides provide an interface between the physical and digital worlds. The entire camouflage also takes the QR code theme further and thus hides the contours of the final production vehicle.
The ID.7 follows the design language of Volkswagen’s fully electric vehicle family. The characteristic features of the sedan include the aerodynamic front section and roof, which are designed to both help to reduce energy consumption and increase the range. Air intakes located in the front end guide the air flowing through them down the sides of the vehicle to the rear, forming an air curtain, which calms the air flow at the sides of the vehicle. The roof has a dramatic coupe-like slope to the rear and thus contributes to the very good drag coefficient. Volkswagen estimates that the range will be up to around 700 kilometers2 for European versions on the WLTP cycle.
Like all other models in the VW electric family, the ID.7 is based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB architecture. The advantage of the short overhangs and long 116.9-inch wheelbase is an especially spacious interior that feels more like a luxury sedan’s.
With the ID.7 sedan, Volkswagen is expanding its successful fully electric vehicle family into the premium part of the mass-market segment and advancing its electric mobility campaign with the ACCELERATE strategy. Volkswagen has already reached a first milestone: Since the first ID.3 models were handed over to customers in September 2020, Volkswagen has delivered more than 500,000 MEB vehicles worldwide through its subsidiaries—around a year earlier than planned and despite the ongoing difficulties in the supply chain.
After the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.66 (Chinese-market only) models and the new ID. Buzz, the ID.7 will be the sixth model in the company’s EV family and is Volkswagen’s second global car to be based on the MEB after the ID.4. It is planned to launch the electric sedan in the three primary markets of China, Europe and North America. The ID.7 for the European market will be produced at the Volkswagen Emden plant, making it the second MEB vehicle produced there, after the ID.4.