Volkswagen reveals the ID.7, new flagship EV with more than 300 miles of range

Volkswagen on Monday unveiled a new large electric sedan that it says will have well over 300 miles of range in its top-level trim when it arrives in the U.S. market next year.

Volkswagen’s new ID.7, as it’s called, will serve as a flagship for the automaker’s growing line of mainstream EVs. The German auto giant said last month that it expects to invest 180 billion euros (nearly $200 billion) in future products and technologies between now and 2027, with more than two-thirds earmarked for “electrification and digitalization.” The company expects about 80% of the VW brand’s sales in Europe, and about 50% of its sales in the U.S., to consist of electric vehicles by 2030.

VW hopes that the new ID.7 will play a key part in that transition. It’s a large sedan with a distinctive hatchback design that allows for more headroom in the rear seats and improves the car’s aerodynamic efficiency.

That aerodynamic emphasis and a brand-new high-efficiency electric drivetrain help the ID.7 achieve what VW says will be strong range ratings: up to 435 miles with the optional 86 kilowatt-hour battery on the European WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure) test cycle. (The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s EV range ratings are often 10% to 20% lower than WLTP ratings.) Base models will come with a 77 kWh battery that will provide an estimated 382 miles of range on the WLTP cycle, the company said.

Both batteries will accept DC fast charging: The standard 77 kWh battery can recharge at up to 170 kilowatts; the optional 86 kWh battery at up to 200 kWs.

All ID.7s will feature a single 282-horsepower motor driving the rear wheels.

Inside, the ID.7 is a roomy high-tech wonderland – as one would expect of a car designed to challenge Tesla‘s Model 3 in markets around the world.

Beyond the now-ubiquitous large touchscreen, all ID.7s will come standard with a heads-up display that replaces most traditional dashboard instruments with images projected in the driver’s field of vision.

Above the passengers is a large auto-dimming sunroof – standard on U.S.-bound ID.7s – that, like many other features in the car, can be controlled with voice commands.

Production of ID.7s for Europe will begin in the second half of 2023 at VW’s plant in Emden, Germany; production of ID.7s for Chinese customers will begin in China before year-end. ID.7s for North America will also be built in Germany and will begin arriving at dealers in 2024.