Volkswagen has unveiled it’s long-awaited ID.3 electric vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week. First announced in 2016, the I.D. concept electric car has finally made it to a production model. Manufacturing will commence in November with the first finished EVs expected to be delivered in May 2020.
The German motor manufacturer has called the new car the most important since its beloved Beetle and Golf models. Both of these vehicles have been immensely popular selling over 21 million and 30 million being built respectively.
As compact as a Golf, the new EV boasts as much interior space as the bigger VW Passat. Also, as with many electric vehicles, the new ID.3 is quick – apparently as swift as the Golf GTI.
With a range of up to around 340 miles, Volkswagen believe that their new EV can go for a week without charging, based on the average mileage of drivers. [That suits me – Ed]
The quick-charging ID.3 has a three battery sizes – 45 kWh, 58 kWh or 77 kWh. The mid-range battery, with 100 kW DC charging, can be charged with up to 260 miles of range in just 30 minutes.
Other clever features of the new Volkswagen electric vehicle include the car lighting up when you approach to get in, using a keyless system, an optional head-up display, projecting onto the ID.3’s windscreen, and a voice assistant that responds to “Hello ID”.
Volkswagen have invested heavily in their electric vehicle development with other models in the pipeline such as a buggy and a camper designed but yet to have a concrete launch date.
Pre-production demand for VW’s new ID.3 was so high in May this year that 10,000 reservations overwhelmed the company’s booking system.
With down payments of 1,000 euros, Volkswagen are producing the limited edition ID.3 1ST. Only 30,000 will be produced and will cost under 30,000 euros. Of course, there may well be subsidies and incentives on top of this to make the new electric vehicle even more appealing.
VW’s Zwickau plant will be dedicated solely to producing EVs, all based on the car-maker’s MEB platform. Production is expected to be in excess of 300,000 EVs annually.
If you want to take a look at the revolutionary ID.3, head over to Volkswagen’s new ID.3 page.
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