The ID.4 combines the battery drive favoured by environmental rules in Europe and China with the compact SUV design that has drawn many consumers away from hatchbacks and sedans.
The company says prices start at $39,995 before the potential $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit. The first edition will have range of 250 miles, charging to full in 7 1/2 hours at home, or up to 80% in 38 minutes at a fast-charging station. Volkswagen says eventually it will have a lower-cost $35,000 version with less range.
At first, U.S. versions of the ID.4 will be rear-drive and imported to the U.S. from Germany, but Volkswagen's factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will begin building it toward the fall of 2022, he said. Volkswagen hopes car buyers will be attracted by the advantages that come from designing a car as an electric vehicle from the ground up. Putting the battery flat below the passenger space gives the ID.4 about the same interior space as that of the longer Volkswagen Tiguan SUV, while the lower centre of gravity makes for better handling.
The push into electric cars is to a great extent being driven by regulation. The European Union is from 2021 requiring car makers' fleets to have lower levels of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas that causes global warming. The race to comply with the rules - or face fines that could run thousands of euros per vehicle sold - has seen companies launch more electric vehicles with better prices and longer range. The European market share jumped to 7.2% in the third quarter from 2.
What will power them