The new Volkswagen ID7 should allow a range of up to 700 km

Volkswagen is showing off its first all-electric sedan at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The car is based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB). The VW company is still showing off a battery-powered version of the Volkswagen Passat that is disguised with a paint job that can make some parts of the car glow.

Last year, the Volkswagen ID AERO showed what the new electric car would look like. VW promises a design language that is very aerodynamic and should allow a range of up to 700 kilometers based on the WLTP standard.

"With the new Volkswagen ID7, we're completing our line of electric models. The sedan will have the best quality and technology. The ID7 is one of ten new electric models we will release by 2026. Thomas Schafer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, says, "Our goal is to have the right offer for our customers in every segment." It's unclear when there will also be a wagon version like the Passat, but hints have already been made that there will be one.

Volkswagen says that the new model, based on the MEB platform, is a response to customer feedback and a way to improve the user experience in the right places. The ID7 comes with a new display concept, an augmented reality head-up display, a 15-inch screen, new climate controls built into the first level of the infotainment system, and touch sliders that light up.

The new idea for air conditioning has innovative vents that can do different things. Based on his key, the ID7 knows who the driver is and starts cooling or heating the car before getting in on hot summer or cold winter days. "Smart Air Vents," which are new, control the airflow and move in different ways to get air to a large area as quickly as possible. If the passengers are sitting in the car, the airflow can either go straight to their bodies or go around them, "says the maker of cars. On the new big screen, these functions are always visible, can be turned on, and can be saved for each user separately. Voice commands can be used to make special requests.

Style-wise, the Volkswagen ID7 looks like the rest of the all-electric ID models. The front and roof of the sedan are made to be aerodynamic, which the designers say is a crucial part of the sedan's design language. This helps save energy and increase the range. "Air intakes in the front allow the wind to flow backward and hit the side of the car in a targeted way. They make a "curtain" of air that slows airflow to the side of the car. The VW ID7 has a very good drag coefficient because of its sloped roof.

The short overhangs and long wheelbase (2.97 m) of the MEB modular construction kit are suitable for the inside. The Volkswagen ID7 should have "the personality of a luxury-class sedan with a tremendous sense of space," says the company.

The Volkswagen ID7 will be released in China, Europe, and North America, the three biggest markets. The electric sedan that will be sold in Europe will be made at the Volkswagen plant in Emden. It's the second MEB-based car to be made at the site, after the Volkswagen ID4 SUV. VW has yet to say when it will start selling the new electric car in this country. In the past, it has been noted that the version for China will go into production in the second half of 2023.