VW is out in full force overseas
Volkswagen, like many other automakers, has a stable of models that only exist in the Chinese market. After all, it’s one of the most competitive markets in the world, demanding a tailored touch. Not to be outdone by tough competition from domestic and other global automakers in China, VW is bringing the heat with three new, electrified concepts that are closer to production than not and showcase where the brand will head in the immediate future.
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Futuristic new ID. ERA and ID. EVO show what the next step for VW SUVs might be
First up is the ID. ERA, VW’s full-size SUV concept. Three rows of seats and a powertrain comprising a battery and generator mean you can take the whole family on a 1000-kilometer (621 miles) road trip. The battery contributes only 300 kilometers (186 miles) of range, but either way, that’s plenty for most. The ID. EVO was developed with help from SAIC, one of VW’s venture partners in China, with upright proportions and minimalist styling that make it look like a more streamlined version of the existing Atlas SUV.
VW’s second concept SUV is the ID. EVO. Decidedly sportier and more extroverted than the serious-looking ID. ERA, the ID. EVO targets “young, lifestyle-conscious buyers who are keen to set themselves apart from the crowd,” according to VW. It’s designed with another one of VW’s China partners, VW Anhui. The SUV looks remarkably similar to the ID. CODE SUV that the brand showed off last year in Beijing, which was also designed to showcase VW’s new China-only styling, albeit without the help of Anhui. Details past that are sparse, though VW claims the SUV runs on 800-volt architecture and offers regular over-the-air updates.
VW is still making sedans, apparently: enter the ID. AURA
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Perhaps the most surprising concept car VW hauled out was, in fact, a car: the ID. AURA. Designed with FAW-Volkswagen, it’s the first car to ride on a zonal electronic architecture that’s only coming to China. If you didn’t know, zonal architecture divides the many processes of a vehicle into individual “departments,” which simplifies manufacturing, repair, and operation. By decentralizing electrical systems and increasing reliance on software, zonal architecture ostensibly reduces the moving parts in a car’s “nervous system.” Here, VW has dubbed it the Compact Main Platform (CMP).
In many ways, the ID. AURA is redefining what it means to be a “software-defined vehicle,” incorporating AI computing for automated driving tasks. Aesthetically, the ID. AURA touts a cool notchback design, big alloy wheels, and modern LED lighting — it’s a looker.
Final thoughts
Although none of these three concept vehicles are coming to the US, there are more shades of VW’s future than a cursory glance may suggest. Remember, just last year, VW paid $5 billion to get a peek at what Rivian was doing with zonal architecture, and this will be the automaker’s first real application of it. With 30 different vehicles coming to market, and at least a portion of them relying on the software-defined bones underpinning the ID. EVO and ID. AURA, VW’s got a busy couple of years ahead of them in China. Only time will tell what that means for the rest of the world.
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