In the rather crowded space of carmakers and their vision for the future of personal vehicles, Volkswagen has a new concept as part of their all-electric range of ‘I.D.’ – the I.D. Vizzion.
The I.D. range that is expected to launch with production models in 2020 now has a complete set of concept cars that have been showcased by VW over the last two years – the Buzz, the Crozz and the plain and simple I.D. – and now the premium sedan variant as the Vizzion. Autonomy is part of the I.D. electric concept package of course which in this concept is at Level 5. That means no steering wheel, no pedals, no driver controls.
The Vizzion concept is something from the further future where inhabitants can operate it via augmented reality, using voice commands and gestures to navigate the holographic interface. However, a more realistic Level 4 autonomy production model could hit the roads as early as 2021 with driver controls in case of emergencies or if you just want to go old school for a bit.
Power (or is it energy for these electric ones?) is supplied by a 111kWh lithium-ion battery under the floor of the Vizzion for the two electric motors – one on each axle, producing a combined output of 301 bhp. VW claims a range of approximately 645km on a full charge. Charging can be done in two ways – traditional plug-in chargers or inductive chargers. It’s a hefty car because of the batteries but VW says the I.D. Vizzion concept will still be able to do 0-100kph in 6.3 seconds (the torquey magic of electric motors) while the top speed is limited to 180kph which is reasonable even on the autobahn’s right lane.
The batteries aren’t the only reason for the weight of the Vizzion which is a big car, measuring at 5,163mm long, 1,947mm wide and 1,506mm tall. With no engine, no transmission and no controls, there’s plenty of space inside for a luxurious…riding experience. In terms of design, the I.D. series is deliberately different from the normal IC models while the smoother lines are as much about more efficient aerodynamics for range as they are for aesthetic purposes. The first claim is yet to be tested by real users on real routes while the second seems agreeable already.
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The Auto Loons 