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This Is How the Volkswagen ID.4, the First MEB Crossover, Is Made

This is, arguably, the moment anyone we can really say that Volkswagen has finally kickstarted its own electric revolution. The ID.4 crossover is the second model of the house based on the dedicated MEB architecture, but it is the first with global appeal. And the same can be said about production – manufacturing will take place in China, Europe, and the United States.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 75 photos
Photo: Volkswagen AG
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With the ID.4, Volkswagen is bringing a fully-electric proposition to the most contested car segment in the world – compact SUVs. And we are not only talking about the first EV sport utility vehicle from the brand, but also about a model that achieves carbon neutrality during its production process.

The people’s brand promises, above all, practicality and an all-rounder setup. As such, the ID.4 has battery capacities of up to 77 kWh (net) / 82 kWh (gross) that lend it a maximum range of 520 km (WLTP) in Europe (250 miles, EPA, United States).

It is also capable of dynamic outbursts thanks to a rear-positioned, rear-wheel drive electric motor with 150 kW (204 ps / 201 hp) that enable a sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) in 8.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 160 kph (99 mph).

While in the U.S. the model gets three years of free charging thanks to Electrify America, in Europe the ID.4 has access to the We Charge solution, reaching up to 125 kW at a DC fast-charge station.

Volkswagen is trying to offer the most environmentally sensible package on the market with the ID.4, so the company was deeply interested in quelling anti-EV assumptions that electric vehicles are just as (or more) harmful than ICE counterparts.

And a big part of the struggle to offset the carbon footprint has to do with the initial manufacturing process. “The ID.4 stands for clean mobility in a CO2 balance sheet neutral manner,” says Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen brand.

According to the carmaker, no less than five manufacturing facilities will be used for the production of the new E-SUV: Zwickau, Germany (already started); Anting and Foshan in China (later this year); Chattanooga (USA) and Emden (Germany) from 2022.

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
Aurel Niculescu profile photo

Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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