Photo: Theo Calitz on Twitter
Caught testing in South Africa, multiple near-production Volkswagen I.D. Neo prototypes have been spied in the presence of engineers and photographers alike. In all likelihood, the Wolfsburg-based automaker is taking pictures for an upcoming press release regarding the first-ever model underpinned by the MEB platform for electric vehicles.
Coming courtesy of Theo Calitz on Twitter, the three photos include two prototypes of the electric hatchback and a support vehicle in the guise of the T6 Multivan. Coincidence or not, Volkswagen is also working on a cargo, panel, and passenger van based on the Modularer Elektrobaukasten.
In development since 2015, the MEB will start production towards the end of 2019 along with the I.D. Neo. In this application, we’re dealing with rear-wheel drive and multiple battery options, translating to 550 kilometers (342 miles) of range for the range-topping pack. In the case of the I.D. Buzz Cargo concept, make that"over 340 miles" under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure thanks to 111 kWh.
Volkswagen chief executive officer Herbert Diess let it slip that the I.D. Neo began intensive on-road testing in September 2018, and the cheapest model in the lineup would be priced similarly to a diesel-engined Golf. Speaking of the perennial best-seller of the German automaker, doesn’t the newcomer look like a Golf Sportsvan with a lower roofline and sexier rear-end design?
Based on what we know from the concept, the I.D. Neo could get 170 PS (168 horsepower) from the electric drive unit and 300 Nm (221 pound-feet) of torque. The entry-level battery is thought to get 48 kWh, enough for 330 kilometers (205 miles) of range according to e-Mobility head Christian Senger. A mid-range option is also expected with up to 450 kilometers (280 miles).
As an optional extra, Volkswagen will offer the I.D. Neo with charging capability of up to 125 kW, which is 5 kW better than the 120 kW of Tesla’s supercharging stations. Come 2020, an electric crossover previewed by the I.D. Crozz is also planned.
Although sedans are out of favor with the car-buying public, a “full-electric sedan will be the future top model" of the family "and will reach the roads by 2022 at the latest.” On that note, the brand intends to sell “at least one million EVs per year” by 2025.
In development since 2015, the MEB will start production towards the end of 2019 along with the I.D. Neo. In this application, we’re dealing with rear-wheel drive and multiple battery options, translating to 550 kilometers (342 miles) of range for the range-topping pack. In the case of the I.D. Buzz Cargo concept, make that"over 340 miles" under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure thanks to 111 kWh.
Volkswagen chief executive officer Herbert Diess let it slip that the I.D. Neo began intensive on-road testing in September 2018, and the cheapest model in the lineup would be priced similarly to a diesel-engined Golf. Speaking of the perennial best-seller of the German automaker, doesn’t the newcomer look like a Golf Sportsvan with a lower roofline and sexier rear-end design?
Based on what we know from the concept, the I.D. Neo could get 170 PS (168 horsepower) from the electric drive unit and 300 Nm (221 pound-feet) of torque. The entry-level battery is thought to get 48 kWh, enough for 330 kilometers (205 miles) of range according to e-Mobility head Christian Senger. A mid-range option is also expected with up to 450 kilometers (280 miles).
As an optional extra, Volkswagen will offer the I.D. Neo with charging capability of up to 125 kW, which is 5 kW better than the 120 kW of Tesla’s supercharging stations. Come 2020, an electric crossover previewed by the I.D. Crozz is also planned.
Although sedans are out of favor with the car-buying public, a “full-electric sedan will be the future top model" of the family "and will reach the roads by 2022 at the latest.” On that note, the brand intends to sell “at least one million EVs per year” by 2025.
VW ID testing in South Africa. Electric mobility is happening ... pic.twitter.com/3E0XZ5PX7y
— Theo Calitz (@Theolitz) December 13, 2018
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