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Volkswagen's Next EV Could Be Called "I.D. STREETMATE", Possibly a City Car

Volkswagen has promised countless electric vehicles by 2025, but so far we've only seen three, and even those were nothing more than concepts. Somebody needs to head over to Wolfsburg and start whispering "tic-tac, tic-tac" into Matthias Mueller's ear.
Volkswagen Gen.E test vehicle 14 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
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Well, they do say the first step is the hardest, so we expect the battery-powered models to start pouring once the I.D. electric hatchback hits the dealerships. The model was first introduced last year and is scheduled for a 2019 release strictly for the European market.

The second concept shown to this point is the I.D. Crozz SUV which debuted in Geneva, but came back bigger (not really) and better at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier this month. The crossover is slated for a 2020 debut, following closely in the I.D.'s footsteps.

Finally, Volkswagen's known electric ambitions end with the I.D. Buzz electric minibus, a modern reinterpretation of the classic model that was such an iconic image of the hippie movement. This one, however, shouldn't become available sooner than 2022, leaving a huge gap that will undoubtedly have to be filled with something.

A slide from an internal presentation leaked earlier this year showed two more models under wraps in between the Crozz and the Buzz. They were called Lounge and AEROe, with the former seemingly looking like another SUV or wagon, and the latter suggesting the shape of a sedan.

Now, we find out (via VWVortex) that Volkswagen has also applied for the "I.D. STREETMATE" trademark, which might point toward another electric model we know nothing about. With such an unpredictable naming scheme (the I.D. is just that, the Crozz and Buzz seem similar, but then you have the AEROe which is partially capitalized, and just when you thought it couldn't get any more confusing, you get the very conservative "Lounge" nameplate), it's hard to tell what to expect from the STREETMATE.

If (and, at this point, it is in "if") it turns out to be a vehicle, the most logical assumption would be that it's a small city car, possibly in the vein of the smart or maybe just a tad large, like the Volkswagen Up. At the same time, though, it could be any other type of product that bears the I.D. name, even though so far that tag hasn't been used for anything other than EVs.

As we've said, there isn't really that much time left for Volkswagen, so expect to find out more about its electric program soon. Whether includes a model called STREETMATE or not, that remains to be seen.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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