(VIDEO) VW unveiled the new ID7, the electric model with a range of 435 miles / 700 km, successor to the Passat
Apr. 18th, 2023, 07:14 AM GMT TimelessDriving
When VW announced that it would withdraw the famous Passat from production, the idea was that the model would not have a direct successor, but an electric one, of comparable dimensions, but which would start a new family of models, without continuing the Passat name. Now VW has revealed this moral successor of the Passat in a new era, the ID.7 electric model, which boasts an autonomy of 435 miles / 700 km.
The new VW ID.7 is also the first VW electric model that is not an SUV or a hatchback, but an upper middle-class sedan, with an aerodynamic silhouette still close to a fastback. The model will be globally available, from China to Europe and North America.
At the debut of the new model, the head of VW's passenger car division, Thomas Schafer, who made headlines last week with statements contradicting Porsche's enthusiasm for synthetic fuels, calling them a futile effort and saying that electric cars will dominate by 2035, wanted to emphasize that position even now, announcing that this new model of VW is a crucial one in the aim of the German brand to reach a picture in which in 2030 exactly 80% of the cars sold globally will be electric, and in 2033 the production of combustion models at VW to be stopped altogether, remaining 100% electric.
Also, as we predicted last week, the new VW ID.7 benefits from VW's new electric motor, called AP550, the engineering of which the Germans revealed then. The new 286 HP and 550 Nm electric motor will be found on the ID.7 regardless of the chosen battery size and will propel the rear axle, so effectively the new VW electric sedan, successor to the Passat, is a rear-wheel drive model.
The new model also has a good aerodynamic coefficient, of 0.23, at the almost 5 meters long (195.3 inches), which it measures. That will help it reach 435 miles / 700 km of autonomy with the largest battery, which will be able to be charged at a power of up to 200 kW. The capacity of the larger battery will be 86 kWh net, which means that the car aims for a consumption of around 12.3 kWh/100 km, much better than SUVs from the VW ID family. So we are witnessing a major evolution in the efficiency of VW electric models, partly due to the new electric motor, but partly also due to the lower weight of the car, where it goes hand in hand with a silhouette and a smaller battery, all adding efficiency. Finally, in the last year electric car manufacturers start designing electric cars with the idea of not making them excessively heavy, but on the contrary, with the desire to get out of the spiral of larger batteries for efficiency, which lead to high weight and decrease efficiency .
There will also be a version with a slightly smaller battery, of 77 kWh net, which will be charged with 170 kW and which will ensure autonomy of around 615 km in the WLTP cycle. So, very good in this case too.
And, finally, there is an interior developed in the right direction, with an airy and efficient design, but also well executed and with technology on board. The central display has become larger and more comprehensive of functions and information, while the display with the role of dashboard dials has become almost invisible, being framed in the lines of the dashboard, without a separate body, where the information is displayed essential for driving, such as speed, battery level, range, and other safety and driving displays. A very clever framing, by the way.
The new electric model will be able to optionally offer seats with massage and a panoramic roof, so it is clear that we are reaching a time when electric models are no longer inferior to combustion ones in terms of sophisticated equipment on board. And VW seems to have really got the hang of creating electric models that are really interesting in terms of design and engineering. The new ID.7 already has the necessary arsenal to fight on the market with models such as Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.
