Half confirmed by the head of the brand last December, the arrival of an SUV version of the Volkswagen ID.3 little by little begins to take shape. The electric car of the German manufacturer would then be assembled both in Germany and in the United States.
Volkswagen has been offering electric models in its catalog for quite some time, and of course we are thinking of the e-Up!, launched in 2011. But since then, the range has expanded a lot, with the arrival in 2019 of the ID.3, the first ID family model. The electric compact, a rival to the Renault Mégane E-Tech and the MG4, was quickly supported by the ID.4 and ID.5, followed by the brand new ID. Buzz recently marketed. But the firm obviously does not intend to stop there, while the European Union wants to ban the sale of thermal cars in 2035.
A new version
Thus, the manufacturer plans to launch no less than ten electric models by 2026, among which are the ID.1 and ID.2, which will have their replicas at Audi and Skoda, in particular. But that’s not all, because a third car would also be in preparation, although the brand does not communicate much about it at the moment. This is an SUV version of the ID.3, half-confirmed via a LinkedIn post by Thomas Schäfer, current Volkswagen boss.
Last December, a press release published by the manufacturer also mentioned the arrival ” of an all-electric SUV ” not production would then start in 2023. the only will perfectly complement the ID.4 and ID.5 offer, very popular models“. But then no further details were given about this new vehicle that is already much talked about.
If this new version has not been talked about then, now it is back in front of the stage. In fact, the German site handelsblatt evokes in its columns the arrival of a new electric SUV, which will sit below the Volkswagen ID.4 in the lineup. It will then be assembled in the United States, inside the Chattanooga plant, located in Tennessee. It could also be manufactured at the Puebla, Mexico site.
The information would have been confirmed by a spokesperson for the brand, who at the moment did not want to give more details on the subject. The choice of mounting in North America is more than consistent for the brand, while the United States government has decided will no longer grant a tax credit only to electric cars produced on site. A measure that is also being considered by the French government to promote European cars.
Great autonomy
Also, theThe German brand is considering building a new battery factory in Canada, and more specifically in Ontario. However, this should only supply US production. In Europe, it is the recently opened Salzgitter site, located in Germany, that will produce the batteries for the versions sold here. The cars will then be assembled at the historic Wolfsburg factory, alongside the standard ID.3.
At the moment, we still know very little about this newcomer to the range, which will take over from the MEB+ platform of the future redesigned ID.3. This will allow for faster reloading, with a maximum power ranging from 175 to 200 kW. It is still little compared to the capacities of the new terminals, including those of Fastned and Circontrol, which can deliver up to 400 kW. Not to mention Nio’s 500 kW.
On the other hand, the ID.3 and its SUV version will maintain a 400-volt architecture and not an 800-volt one, unlike the Kia EV6 and other Hyundai Ioniq 5s. This would have made recharging even faster. Then it will take 25-30 minutes, which is still on the high average. The battery capacity can vary between 90 and 111 kWh depending on the car.for a range that could reach 700 kilometers.
The ID.3 SUV, however, should not benefit from such a high range, unlike the ID.7. This has already been revealed in the form of a camouflaged prototype at the last CES in Las Vegas. Various versions of the ID. Buzz is also on the program, as well as an electric sedan based on the highly anticipated SSP platform. However, this should not see the light of day before 2030.
- Read : Volkswagen “confirms” the SUV ID.3: 700 km of autonomy and faster charging?
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