Volkswagen is working on expanding its all-electric vehicle portfolio that sits under the name ‘I.D.’ and just revealed a new electric crossover concept ahead of the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show. The concept car is the brand’s first electrically powered crossover utility vehicle (CUV) – a four-door coupé and sport utility vehicle (SUV) in one.
Previous concepts that are part of the I.D. family were revealed in Paris (I.D.) last year and Detroit (I.D. BUZZ) earlier this year. The multi-purpose all-electric crossover comes with all-wheel drive and is home in a variety of different environments. Its driving range is in the same ballpark as today’s petrol cars making it more suitable for longer journeys.
Besides zero-emission vehicles, autonomous driving is also an important point on Volkswagen’s agenda. Their crossover concept can also drive fully autonomously, just like the I.D. and I.D. BUZZ concept cars. In order to drive autonomously, the electric crossover draws on several technologies including laser scanners, cameras and ultrasonic sensors that recognize the vehicle’s surroundings.
The electric crossover is a next step in Volkswagen’s clearly defined path towards a large-scale future product offensive by the middle of the next decade.
