It was back in September 2016 at the Paris Motor Show where VW signalled its EV agenda with a Golf-sized hatchback dubbed I.D. capable of doing up to 373 miles on a single charge. Several months later, the folks from Wolfsburg traveled to Detroit for the 2017 NAIAS in January to show off the I.D. Buzz, taking the shape of a futuristic all-electric Microbus featuring autonomous driving tech.
A third I.D.-badged concept will follow later this month at Auto Shanghai in China where VW will take the wraps off an SUV. Several months from now, these three EV concepts are going to be joined by a saloon, which according to VW design chief Klaus Bischoff will be a “surprise”. Not only that, but the vehicle scheduled to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September has already managed to impress many employees within the group.
Little else is known about the saloon, but VW does say this quartet of I.D. concepts previews “families” of models set to arrive in the years to come based on the newly developed MEB platform for electric vehicles. All of these cars are going to boast a lower air intake necessary for cooling down the battery pack during recharging. To set them apart from the conventional models, VW will install distinctive headlights and will light up the company’s badge.
An I.D. sports car concept could follow if we were to rely on the rumour mill, but it’s too early to know for sure. Meanwhile, the show in Shanghai will open its doors to the press on April 19th, so chances are VW will unveil the SUV concept online as early as next week.
The first MEB-based production EV is slated to go on sale in 2020 and will be a follow-up to the first I.D. concept. Other models will follow shortly in a bid to help the company achieve the bold objective of selling 1 million EVs by the middle of the next decade. Needless to say, other marques from the VW Group will take advantage of the new platform, with Audi, Skoda, and SEAT already working on their own models.
Note: Top image shows the original I.D. concept.
Source: Volkswagen via Autocar
Gallery: Volkswagen I.D. Concept Paris Motor Show