Volkswagen ID.7 Is Volkswagen’s New Star EV – CleanTechnica

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Volkswagen ID.3? Volkswagen ID.4? No, add them together and you get the real star of the show — the hot new Volkswagen ID.7. As the German auto giant says, this is its new flagship EV. Go to the back of the line ID.3, ID.4, and ID. Buzz!

What does that mean exactly? Well, it basically means that the ID.7 is larger, has more range, has more tech, and will cost more money than Volkswagen’s top selling EVs — the ID.4 and ID.3. Will the ID.7 sell more units than those two? Probably not. But it’s got some selling points that are so compelling that I wouldn’t bet against it just yet.

Getting to some details, the ID.7 Pro comes with an 82 kWh battery that provides an estimated 386 miles (621 kilometers) on a full charge. That’s a lot! It also offers 402 lb-ft of torque. It’s going to be quick. It also comes with an augmented reality head-up display by default — the first time Volkswagen is providing this on a model by default. And it comes with a Climatronic massage system built in. (Yes, please!)

There are a couple of clear design elements that helped the car to get so much range. It’s considerably longer than the ID.3 or ID.4, which provides more space for batteries, and it uses a sedan body that is much more efficient than a minivan, truck, or SUV. Throw greater energy efficiency together with a long, flat array of batteries, and you get a lot of range.

You can order the ID.7 Pro now. You’ll be able to order other (less expensive) variants in coming weeks and months. Note that Volkswagen already leaked photos of another version of this model, the ID.7 Tourer.

The larger sedan should help Volkswagen to reach a lot more people in North America, where we buy larger vehicles. Electric vehicles are hot in general and Volkswagen’s EVs are too, but there’s a lot of space open for more sales.

“In the first nine months of the year, we increased deliveries of our all-electric models by 31.8 percent to 273,000 vehicles. The ID.7 has the potential to give this another significant boost since this new product line marks the arrival of electric mobility in this important class,” said Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars.

And, yes, this model will be available in the US and other markets. Sales have kicked off in Europe first, but it will make its way to the US, China, and beyond.

Here’s more about the car from the carmaker: “The design of the ID.7 is based on flowing and muscular lines. The front end design is defined in particular by the three-dimensional design of the hood and the LED headlights with their narrow LED strip for the daytime running lights. The side air intakes (air curtains) for the wheel housings are located low down in the bumper and have a distinctive look.

“A defining element of the silhouette is the character line located below the long window shoulder. This creates powerful and positive tension in the side of the vehicle. The vehicle’s proportions also help the ID.7 to make an elegant and powerful impression. The ID.7 is 195.3 inches long and has an extended 117 in wheelbase. The short body overhangs are therefore crisply defined. With a height of 60.5 in, this is the lowest slung VW ID. model to date.

“Horizontal lines emphasize the 73.3 in wide body at the rear of the car. The most dominant line is a horizontal LED strip, which extends outwards into the wraparound LED taillight clusters.”

One feature I do enjoy from the Volkswagen ID line is the ambient lighting customization. Volkswagen notes that the ID.7 comes standard with a 30-color ambient lighting system. That’s fun. The kids would love it, and I’m sure it would not be the source of any fights. /s

At least there shouldn’t be any fights among shared drivers, though, as the lighting is tied to the driver profile.

While the lighting may look cool, it’s the seats that steal the show. They include top-tier seat tech to make you as comfortable as can be. “For the ID.7, Volkswagen has developed new, comfort seats for the driver and front passenger with electric 12-way adjustment, memory function, convenient entry function and adjustable thigh support. They also offer a brand new pressure point massage function. Top-of-range models will feature a premium seat with a new Climatronic® automatic air conditioning function and an upgraded massage function. The climate control and massage functions are permanently displayed by means of touch controls on the top level of the infotainment system and can also be switched on and off and adjusted there.

• The new pressure point massage function offers a unique level of comfort on long journeys. The backrests of the comfort seats are equipped with 10 air cushions that provide for a pneumatic pressure point massage to relax and activate the muscles in the back.
• For the first time, the premium seats are equipped with two large, extra air pockets in the seat cushion. The goal here is to additionally activate the pelvis and spine.
• In addition to the individual cooling and heating temperature settings, the driver and front passenger can alternatively activate an automatic mode for the first time in a Volkswagen. Here, temperature and moisture sensors in the seats detect the cooling and/or heating requirement and control the climate accordingly. Three special modes can also be selected: maximum heating, maximum ventilation or maximum drying. All three modes are activated for a limited time and switch off automatically. In addition, the intensity of the heating and ventilation can be adjusted separately for the seat cushion and backrest. The bolsters of the seat cushion and backrest are also heated and ventilated.”

Yes, please.

And perhaps most surprising is the fancy glass roof. It uses “smart glass.” You can adjust its see-through-ness! “The ID.7 is available with the new panoramic glass roof with smart glass as an option. The transparent roof can be opaque or made transparent again from one moment to the next by means of a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) layer integrated in the glass. The switch is activated by touch control in the roof console or by the online IDA voice assistant.” Wicked cool.

“The electronic PDLC layer is de-energized when the glass is opaque. This causes the crystals in the layer to arrange themselves so that the glass becomes opaque. In contrast, as soon as an electric voltage is applied to the layer, the crystals then sort themselves so that light is again allowed to pass through. In addition to this switchable glare protection function, layers in the glass also reflect the energy-rich infrared rays in the sunlight that would otherwise heat up the vehicle interior in sunny weather. To complement this, layers in the glass also reflect heat radiated in the interior, which ensures a very comfortable experience for vehicle occupants, particularly in winter.”

You can find more specs and more info on the features in the ID.7 here.

If you don’t need a new car, well, good luck not upgrading to this one anyway. Volkswagen is bringing a world beater to market with the ID.7, and it is tempting!

(No, there’s no word on pricing yet.)