Volkswagen's EV Platform and the I.D. Buggy

Parts of a free article sourced from energy and research digest (21 March 2019).

(Quote)

"Volkswagen and others poised to give Tesla a run for their money".

Volkswagen is now rapidly moving to produce all its vehicles on an EV platform.

As part of its settlement (over the false emissions testing legal case in the USA) here in the USA, it must "electrify America." So it created a subsidiary, Electrify America, that's charged with spending $2 billion over the next decade to build out the country's EV charging infrastructure.

As part of the settlement, Electrify America is responsible for the maintenance of its network for 10 years.

Once the infrastructure is in place, Volkswagen will have a nationwide charging network to compete with Tesla's Supercharger network.

By 2025, electric and plug-in hybrids could make up as much as 12% of all light-duty vehicles sold in the U.S. All the carmakers rushing into the EV production space are making that a reality.

Ironically, Volkswagen could end up with the best EV lineup of any automaker.

It plans to design all its EVs using the modular MEB EV platform.

One of the first vehicles it makes may be a Volkswagen EV microbus, the I.D. Buzz. The company also has released concept photos of the two-seater I.D. Buggy, I.D. Crozz (crossover), I.D. Vizzion (sedan) and a yet-to-be-named sporty vehicle based on the I.D. platform.

Furthermore, Volkswagen's Porsche subsidiary is coming out with the Taycan EV. This model likely will compete directly with Tesla's premium EVs.

Several other automakers have approached Volkswagen about using its MEB platform. And Volkswagen is happy to share.

One of those partners is Ford. The two are working together to produce a midsize pickup and a commercial van for overseas markets.

A more near-term competitor to Tesla's Model Y crossover is KIA. It's pouring billions into EV development.

Kia's first effort is its all-electric Niro crossover. The Niro has debuted internationally and is expected to hit the U.S. this spring. The company claims the price will be very competitive.

Another up-and-coming competitor is a Chinese startup called Byton. As evidenced by its California research and development facility, the company has big plans for the U.S. market.

Its M-Byte EV does the Tesla Model 3 one better. Its electronic dashboard screen is the size of seven iPads. And it has additional screens on the steering wheel and center console.

Lastly, following up on its i3 EV, BMW is working on the iX3, i4 and iNEXT SUV.

(End Quote)

BGS and VW, now that would be something to dream about and make you feel warm and fuzzy all over, for sure.

I want an electric V-Dub I.D. Buggy for the beach house - awesome.



Gw