“The three concept vehicles are the visible outcome of our ‘In China, for China’ strategy. We have thus made all the necessary preparations to remain in pole position among foreign automakers in China,” said Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand.
At the Volkswagen Group Night held on Tuesday evening Chinese time, the ID. AURA, ID. ERA and ID. EVO were presented to the public for the first time. Along with a host of other Volkswagen models, the concept cars will be on display at Auto Shanghai until the beginning of May. The three cars belong to the group of new energy vehicles (NEVs). In China, this category includes all-electric vehicles, as well as models with plug-in hybrid and range extender drives.
All production versions of the concept cars presented in Shanghai will be equipped with AI-based systems for highly automated driving. The vehicles can thus reach Level 2++ as early as next year, which means in certain situations cars will be able to drive fully autonomously – including overtaking and turning maneuvers and independently merging into traffic – with the driver’s supervision.
“Over the next three years, we will bring out more than 20 state-of-the-art NEVs alone with forward-looking technologies to cater to all our different customers in China. With our ‘In China, for China’ strategy we will now realize our full potential and demonstrate our innovative strength at local level,” underlined Stefan Mecha, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Brand for China.
“We picked up ‘China speed’ with our new development center in Hefei. Our goal is to develop our models within 34 months at most. We will launch the right models at the right speed and with the right partners. The three concept vehicles meet the different technological requirements of Chinese customers with their all-electric drive systems for the volume and full-size segments and range extender technology,” commented Thomas Ulbrich, CEO of Volkswagen China Technology Center (VCTC).
Volkswagen has also integrated the needs of Chinese customers into the design; however much the three concept vehicles presented in Shanghai differ from one another in their design language, they are still clearly recognizable as genuine Volkswagen models. “The ID. CODE show car we exhibited in Beijing last year was the jumping-off point for our new design direction in China,” Head Designer Andreas Mindt recalled. “We have refined this in recent months and adapted it specifically for each of our joint ventures.”
Overview of the three concept vehicles
The ID. ERA from SAIC VOLKSWAGEN, a spacious full-size SUV with three rows of seats, gives a preview of Volkswagen’s first model featuring range extender technology. A fuel-powered generator charges the battery while driving and provides an additional range of over 700 kilometers. Together with the 300-kilometer range in battery mode, the concept car can thus travel more than 1,000 kilometers.
The ID. EVO from Volkswagen Anhui is targeted at young, lifestyle-conscious buyers who are keen to set themselves apart from the crowd. Based on an 800-volt platform, the ID. EVO is the first all-electric full-size SUV in Volkswagen’s ID. UNYX family. The concept vehicle is fitted out with a high-performance zonal electronic architecture that not only facilitates a wide range of new digital services but also continuously expands the customer experience with over-the-air updates at short intervals.
The ID. AURA from FAW-Volkswagen is the first concept vehicle to be based on the Compact Main Platform (CMP) with zonal electronic architecture which Volkswagen designed specifically for the Chinese market. Through its AI-based high computing capacity, the system for highly automated driving that is used on this platform raises the bar for smart yet natural driving behavior. The electric notchback concept has been developed in particular for customers in the price-conscious A-segment, combining modern technology with dynamic design. A UI/UX concept similar to a smartphone is built into the center console of the vehicle. The AI-based humanoid assistant enables seamless control of vehicle functions and infotainment.