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E-mobility
E-mobility
Volkswagen I.D. family: Electric for All!“
E-mobility plays a key role for the Volkswagen brand. Our stated goal is to make fully-connected electric cars accessible to as many people as possible, thus paving the way for the breakthrough of this technology.
We are currently developing a completely new generation of vehicles: the models in the I.D. family have been designed exclusively as full battery-electric cars. They maximize the possibilities of this technology, and will also be very competitively priced, i.e. prices will be similar to those of comparable diesel cars. With the I.D., the I.D. CROZZ, the I.D. BUZZ and the I.D. VIZZION, Volkswagen has already presented four concepts that will hit the market from 2020.
This is how the brand plans to sell more than 1 million electric cars per year by 2025 and to be a leading player in e-mobility. Moreover, the automotive future is a top-level issue at Volkswagen: at the beginning of 2018, the brand created a separate Board of Management division for e-mobility headed by Thomas Ulbrich. The electric car will become VW’s new brand icon.
“We build cars for millions, not millionaires.”
Thomas Ulbrich, Brand Board Member for E-Mobility
Press Releases
Success factors for the I.D. R Pikes Peak: 4.000 kilometres of test drives
It was all over after exactly 7:57.148 minutes. With Romain Dumas at the wheel, the I.D. R Pikes Peak crossed the finish line in the world’s most famous hill climb. A record-breaking sprint that lasted 19.99 kilometres, preceded by numerous tests over a distance of 4,000 kilometres – spread over six months.
Success factors for the I.D. R Pikes Peak: teamwork between racers and technicians from production development
Motorsport is a team sport. At the same time, the individual team members sometimes do their thing on different playing fields – under certain circumstances, they can usually be found playing a completely different sport. A prime example of this is the I.D. R Pikes Peak, with which Volkswagen driver Romain Dumas set a new record of 7:57.148 minutes at the most famous hill climb in the world on 24 June 2018. As well as Volkswagen Motorsport, a whole host of departments from within the Volkswagen Group were involved in making the project a success. “The help we received from production development was crucial to the success,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets.
Success factors for the I.D. R Pikes Peak: Pacemaker Dieter Depping, test and development driver
He is the unsung hero and secret pacemaker behind the successful Pikes Peak project: Dieter Depping. The man from Hannover (Germany), who celebrates his 52nd birthday today on 7 August, has been a motorsport test and development driver for Volkswagen for 16 years. Without him, the twelve titles in the World Rally Championship (WRC), a further two titles in the FIA World Rallycross Championship (WRX), the three Dakar victories with the Race Touareg, and the many class wins at the Nürburgring 24 Hours would have been inconceivable. Or, as Romain Dumas puts it: “Dieter was my second throttle foot. Without him, the record on Pikes Peak would not have been possible”. The fact that this quote from Dumas came just moments after the ground-breaking 7:57.148 minutes, in which he had made motorsport and electromobility history, speaks volumes of the key role that Dieter Depping has played in the Volkswagen Motorsport success story.
I.D. R Pikes Peak makes Germany debut at Classic Days
From 03 to 05 August the time has come: the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak will make its debut in Germany at the 13th Classic Days at Schloss Dyck. The Autostadt in Wolfsburg will present Volkswagen’s first all-electric powered racing car at their “Passion | Pace | Performance” exhibition. With around 40 exhibits, ranging from the 1920s Bugatti to the current Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak, the motorsport brand diversity of the Volkswagen Group will be presented, focussing on the past, present day and future. The 500 kW (680 PS) I.D. R Pikes Peak is the sporting forerunner of the I.D. family, the series of all-electric powered production cars that Volkswagen will be launching as of 2020.
Success factors for the I.D. R Pikes Peak: Computer is important factor for development in record time
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is unique in many ways. One thing that makes the most famous hill climb in the world so special is the heavily restricted test drives. Volkswagen Motorsport wasn’t able to complete hundreds of laps during the development of the I.D. R Pikes Peak, like Formula 1 teams are allowed to do on certain racetracks, for example. Before driver Romain Dumas reached the 4,302-metre summit in a new record time, he wasn’t even able to complete one full test run of the actual track with Volkswagen’s first all-electric powered racing car.
Success factors for the I.D. R Pikes Peak – a record breaker, thanks to 3D printing
It is less than four weeks since Romain Dumas and the I.D. R Pikes Peak set a new all-time record of 7:57.148 minutes for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. For the Volkswagen Motorsport engineers, the race against the clock lasted far longer – about eight months. In motorsport, this is an extremely short period in motor racing terms, yet this is all the technicians were given to develop Volkswagen’s first fully-electric racing car.
Record-breaking run of the I.D. R Pikes Peak from different perspectives
Volkswagen made motorsport history at the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on 24 June. At the wheel of the 500-kW (680-PS), fully-electric I.D. R Pikes Peak, Romain Dumas (F) defeated cars powered by conventional drivetrain technology. The 40-year-old’s time of 7:57.148 minutes, not only smashed the previous record for electric cars, but also bettered the all-time record set in 2013 by Sébastien Loeb (F) – by fully 16.730 seconds.
I.D. R Pikes Peak thrills fans with record run at Goodwood
The I.D. R Pikes Peak has wrapped up its next record. Romain Dumas (F) set a new record for electric cars of 43.86 seconds in Volkswagen’s first fully-electric racing car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Following his record-breaking exploits at the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb just three weeks ago, Dumas beat the previous fastest time for electric cars on the Goodwood Hillclimb, which has stood since 2013, by 3.48 seconds. The all-time record still belongs to Nick Heidfeld (D). The former Formula 1 driver completed the 1.86-kilometre route in 41.6 seconds at the wheel of a McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13 Formula 1 car in 1999.
Volkswagen Expands E-Mobility Engagement in China
Volkswagen Group China today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp., Ltd. (JAC) and SEAT in Berlin, in the presence of German Chancellor An-gela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The three groups will together establish a new R&D center with a focus on developing electric vehicles, connectivity and autonomous
driving technologies, as well as a competitive platform for battery electric vehicles (BEV). SEAT brand will be introduced to China by 2020/2021. The move is a significant step in reinforcing Sino-German cooperation, as well as supporting Volkswagen Group China’s drive to be a leader in
e-mobility.
Restructuring the value chain Electric cars made in Germany
The future of mobility is made in Germany: the first models in the I.D. family will roll off the production line in Zwickau from the end of 2019. Going forward, the site will exclusively build EVs and will be developed into the European competence center for e-mobility. Furthermore, important components such as electric motors or battery systems are to be produced by Volkswagen Components in Brunswick and Kassel.
The pact for the future plays a central role in this context: in 2016, work began under the pact to realign all production plants to the new tasks and needs step by step. In addition, the I.D. models will in future also be built in China and the USA. Up to 2022, the Volkswagen brand will be investing a total of some €6 billion in sites and in developing e-mobility.
The Modular Electric Toolkit: 100 % electric, 100 % digital
All I.D. models are based on Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB). At the heart of this vehicle architecture is the scalable battery that is fully integrated in the structure of the future EVs. As a result, the range is extended to up to 600 kilometers. The MEB brings flexibility to design and interior; compact car, SUV or bus – everything is possible. The new ‘vw.OS’, our innovative operating system, takes charge of intelligent control of the I.D. vehicles.
‘vw.OS’ enables fast software updates and upgrades of vehicle systems that constantly improve vehicle performance. Ultimately, the brand is seeking to set the new industry benchmark for e-mobility with the MEB.
Stories
Current EV lineup - From e-Golf to Passat GTE
Volkswagen already offers numerous all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids vehicles today. And with the e-Golf, the brand has even electrified its flagship. In Norway – Europe’s pioneer in electric mobility – the e-Golf is by far the most popular EV. Furthermore, bestsellers such as the Passat are also available as plug-in hybrids. These models combine the advantages of an electric drive with the range of an internal combustion engine and can cover a distance of up to 50 kilometers in all-electric mode.
Incidentally – electric drive technology has a long tradition at Volkswagen. The first electric cars were developed and went into production in Wolfsburg more than 40 years ago. Volkswagen’s first electric production vehicle, the “Elektro Transporter”, made its debut in 1977. The slogan created back then – “Zero liters per 100 kilometers” – still holds true today.
Speeches
Media
I.D. R Pikes Peak makes Germany debut at Classic Days
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I.D. R Pikes Peak makes Germany debut at Classic Days
Two days to go until the record attempt: kW buzz on Pikes Peak
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Two days to go until the record attempt: kW buzz on Pikes Peak
Volkswagen Showcars I.D., I.D. CROZZ and I.D. BUZZ (f.l.t.r.)
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Volkswagen Showcars I.D., I.D. CROZZ and I.D. BUZZ (f.l.t.r.)
