ID.7 electric Kombi to top Volkswagen EV line-up in 2022

December 16, 2020December 27, 2020 John Carey 9909 Views Electric VW Kombi, VW ID 7, VW ID Buzz, VW ID.7, VW ID7

Volkswagen’s chief says an electric Kombi-lookalike, due in 2022, will top its growing line-up of EVs. In a recent interview with UK outlet Autocar, Ralf Brandstätter spoke in detail about the German giant’s plans for its EV-only ID sub-brand over the next three years.

The electric Kombi, likely to be called ID.7, will be “a halo car for the brand”, VW’s CEO told Autocar reporter Greg Kable. It will look a lot like the ID Buzz concept from 2017.

Production version of electric Kombi will look a lot like this ID Buzz concept from 2017

Volkswagen plans to produce the ID.7 in a wide variety of sizes and configurations. There will short- and long-wheelbase versions, plus rear- and all-wheel-drive powertrains. As well as a minibus interior with three-row seating, there will also be a commercial van version.

VW ID Buzz van concept is also headed for 2022 production

But VW has plenty to do before it gets to the ID.7, Brandstätter revealed.

Through 2021, Volkswagen aims to add a performance version to the ID.4 SUV range, launch a new SUV-coupe called ID.5, and upgrade the DC fast-charging tech and driving range of the ID.3 hatchback on sale across Europe since the middle of 2020.

The ID.4 would likely be the first of the ID family to make it to Australia, although it’s yet to be confirmed – and would arrive in 2023 at the earliest, according to Volkswagen Australia.

Given Australians’ love of performance models – the GTI has at times accounted for more than a quarter of Golf sales – it’s safe to assume the quick version of the EV SUV would eventually be on the local wish list. It will introduce the GTX name VW has chosen for its high-performance EVs, echoing the familiar GTI badge used for decades on its ICE-powered hot models.

The ID.4 GTX will feature a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain that delivers much swifter acceleration than the single-motor rear-drive versions of the ID.4 now reaching European showrooms.

Around the same time as the ID.4 GTX arrives, VW will launch the third member of the ID family. The ID.5 will share much of its core technology with the ID.4, but wear an SUV-coupe styled body.

In 2023, according to the Autocar report, VW will add another model. To be called ID.6, it will be the production version of the ID Vizzion concept from 2019. Sedan and wagon versions are apparently planned, with a choice of single- and dual-motor powertrains. The ID.6 will be around the same size as Volkswagen’s ICE-powered Passat, but with a roomier interior.

VW’s ID Vizzion sedan concept is headed for production in 2023 as ID.6

ID.6 wagon will look like this ID Space Vizzion concept

While Brandstätter would not discuss VW’s EV plans beyond 2023, he did confirm the company is working to develop more compact and less costly ID models that will go into production mid-decade.

The ID.1 hatchback and ID.2 crossover will be small, around the size of the current VW Polo. They will be built on a low-cost version of the EV-only MEB platform developed by VW to serve as a flexible foundation for the ID range.

The smaller footprint of these so-called MEB-lite models means their battery packs will have to be smaller, too. Expect a maximum capacity of around 45kWh.

Prices will be likewise reduced. VW is apparently aiming for starting prices the equivalent of around $30,000 in Europe, and this is before national EV subsidies are applied.

With more countries announcing plans for future bans on the sale of purely ICE-powered vehicles, VW’s confidence in its EV strategy is growing. The company previously predicted that EVs would make up 35 percent of its global sales by 2030. Now Brandstätter thinks the percentage will be much higher.

“We see the potential for electric models to take up to 55 percent of our annual sales by 2030,” the VW chief told Autocar. In 2019 VW Group produced almost 11 million cars and the world’s biggest car maker, narrowly beating Toyota.

John Carey

Grew up in country NSW, way back when petrol was laced with lead. Has written about cars and the car business for more than 35 years, working full-time and freelance for leading mags, major newspapers and websites in Australia and (sometimes) overseas. Avidly interested in core EV technologies like motors and batteries, and believes the switch to electromobility definitely should be encouraged. Is waiting patiently for someone to make a good and affordable EV that will fit inside his tiny underground garage in northern Italy, where he's lived for the past decade. Likes the BMW i3, but it's just too damned wide...