Another hint at what’s coming from Volkswagen debuted at the 2021 IAA Mobility show, aka the Munich Motor Show. Dubbed the ID.Life concept, the five-door hatchback forecasts a new 2025 Volkswagen ID electric crossover model that will fill the gap between the ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 compact crossover in VW’s line-up.
Whether it will be sold in North America is unknown.
The new front-wheel-drive crossover is powered by a 57kWh battery pack powering a 231-horsepower electric motor. The driveline has an estimated 249-mile driving range. The automaker says the battery pack can recapture 101 miles in 10 minutes using a DC fast charger. The vehicle runs 0-62 mph in 6.9 seconds and boasts a top speed off 112 mph.
Focus on sustainability
The vehicle is built using Volkswagen’s MEB platform and features a removable roof that like other parts on this vehicle, is constructed from recycled plastic bottles. As with other EV concepts shown in Munich, the ID.Life uses ecologically friendly materials throughout its construction. In the case of the ID.Life, that includes natural rubber, rice husks, and wood chips.
Being a concept, you’d expect some wild ideas that may not pass muster with government regulators, and the ID.Life is no exception. There are no mirrors; they’ve been replaced by cameras. The yoke-style steering wheel houses the vehicle’s controls, including the vehicle’s projector screen, which rises from the dashboard when the vehicle is parked. It also hosts the vehicle’s built-in gaming console.
There’s also a spot for docking your smartphone. If you’re getting tired of playing games, the first and second row bench seats can be converted into a bed, like an old Nash Airflyte. And, if you’re carrying cargo, not people, there’s as much as 45.3 cubic feet of total storage space.
Volkswagen is saying that the production variant of the ID.Life goes on sale, its price will start at €20,000, or $23,714. That’s a tall order, given that the least expensive mainstream EV in the United States is the 2022 Nissan Leaf, which starts at $27,400, or that the average U.S. transaction price for new vehicles averages around $41,000.
Whether it arrives in the U.S, remains to be seen. Volkswagen is planning some higher-margin electric products to arrive in the meantime, including the ID.Buzz and possibly the ID.6, while dealing with the troubled launch of the ID.3 in Europe.
Nevertheless, Volkswagen is charging ahead with plans for half of its fleet to be electrified by 2030.
