Volkswagen has officially taken the wraps off the production version of its new electric flagship sedan, the ID.7, providing new details and a production timeline of the EV that it originally previewed as the ID.Aero concept. Coming to Europe and China later this year, and the U.S. in 2024, it will feature an 82-kilowatt-hour battery and more than 300 miles of range with rear-wheel drive. An all-wheel drive version will do 0-60 miles per hour in the low 5-second range, according to VW. The interior has massaging seats, a 15-inch touchscreen infotainment system and an augmented reality head-up display.

Transcript

- Please welcome Volkswagen [INAUDIBLE] America's chief communications officer Cameron [INAUDIBLE].

- Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the world premiere of the Volkswagen ID.7. The ID.7 is our all-new electric sedan and is our second global EV to be sold in multiple markets around the world. To celebrate this, the car is being unveiled simultaneously in New York, Berlin, Shanghai, and five other cities across the globe.

Thank you for joining us this morning. With that, please welcome Pablo [INAUDIBLE], President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. [INAUDIBLE].

- Oh, good morning to all of you. It's great to have you here. And as Cameron said, this is a global launch for a global product to be sold in North America, Europe, and China.

And it's part of our ambitious plan for the group to be carbon neutral by 2050. And to get there, our investments are profound-- more than $130 billion invested globally between 2023 and 2027 on electric vehicle and software development. We're introducing more than 25 EV models by 2030 across all Volkswagen group brands, and we're also investing $7 billion here in the North American region by 2027 to accelerate our transition to an electric future. And we have just recently announced a PowerCo battery production site in Ontario, Canada.

So the group is fully committed to the North American region. In 2021, we introduce our first electric SUV, the ID.4. And last year, we localized assembly of the ID.4, our Chattanooga Tennessee plant, which is the result of a further $800 million investment in our region.

And the ID4 is priced right, with an MSRP of less than $40,000 for the entry models. And additionally, it qualifies for the $7,500 tax credit. It's been a big hit for Volkswagen, bringing new buyers to our brand and to the EVs.

In the first three months of this year, we have sold thousands of ID.4s, making it the fourth best selling EV in the US. And in Q1, we sold three times as many as we did the year before. So we're extremely excited [INAUDIBLE] offering success. With the ID, our journey is just beginning.

The much-anticipated [INAUDIBLE] with a longer wheelbase for North America will go on sale next year. The [INAUDIBLE] bus is our iconic electric microbus for the 21st century. We'll introduce the bus in California in early June. So I hope to see many of you there.

And like the [INAUDIBLE] bus, the ID.7 sedan will go on sale next year. It will deliver a premium interior, including a 15 inch infotainment screen, a spacious cabin, and more than 300 miles of range. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the ID.7.

Thank you. I think you'll agree that this is a stunning new addition to our EV lineup. And to tell us more about the details, please welcome Jeffrey Lear, our product manager for EVs. Jeffrey.

- Good morning, everyone. As you can see, the ID.7 is a sleek fastback sedan that's all about aerodynamics, which helps range and performance. It has a premium interior that's fully packed with tech.

The ID.7 will be our great brand halo here in the United States, along with the long wheelbase [INAUDIBLE]. At 195.3 inches long with a wheelbase of 116.8 inches, it has a truly spacious interior. Now, in terms of size, the ID.7 is close to the Arteon but with more interior space.

The ID.7 is also instantly recognizable as the newest member of our electric family with Volkswagen. The sculpted shape delivers a very low coefficient of drag of just 0.23. Exterior design features on the car include the aerodynamic front end and the sloping roofline, which are designed to help reduce consumption and increase range.

All ID.7 models will have illuminated logos at the front and the rear with a striking light line. Now, the ID.7 is based on our MEB electrical architecture that underpins more than half a million EVs on the roads around the world. It will be available with an 82 kilowatt hour battery, and the rear wheel drive model has a newly developed electric motor that delivers 282 horsepower.

The vehicle will be our range hero in the EV lineup. We're targeting more than 300 miles of range on the EPA test cycle for the rear wheel drive version. And we're also expecting 0 to 60 acceleration in the low five second range for the all-wheel drive. For the first time on a Volkswagen electric vehicle, we're offering adaptive DCC dampening, which will allow the drivers to choose from different modes from comfort to sport, and it automatically firms up the suspension while cornering.

The interior is truly premium, with high quality materials, elegant design, and proper fit and finish that you'd expect from a Volkswagen. The centerpiece is a floating 15 inch infotainment screen that has backlit sliders for both temperature and volume and a revised HMI that allows for direct access to climate functions. Since the ID.7 has a standard augmented reality heads up display, we've been able to actually reduce the size of the ID cockpit right in front of the driver and make it an integral part of the dashboard.

Now, the new smart air vents are electrically controlled and offer a number of functions. The ID.7 can detect when a driver is approaching the vehicle with the key and can already start to cool the interior on those hot summer days or heat the interior on cold days right before the driver gets into the vehicle. And special requests can be activated using voice commands, of course. If the user says, hello, Volkswagen, my hands are cold, the ID.7 immediately responds, turns on the heated steering wheel, and immediately blows warm air onto the hands.

The ID.7 also has an impressive standard feature list-- a panoramic electrochromic tinted glass roof, 30 colors of ambient lighting, 360 degree area view cameras all around, three zone climatetronic, and 12-way front seats with massage. We'll also have an available 14 speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system, front seat ventilation with enhanced massage, and heated rear seats. Now, the ID.7 comes with a full suite of level two ready IQ drive driver assistance systems, including our travel assist, which makes long drives more comfortable.

The park assist system can help you with parking, with trains, and remote-controlled parking. Now finally, when choosing the ID.7-- choosing the right ID.7 will be easy. We're keeping the offer structure very simple in terms of packages, colors, and options.

Now, this concludes our presentation of the all-new Volkswagen ID.7. So in just a minute, please join Cameron, Pablo, and me to get a closer look at the latest addition to our growing EV portfolio. Thank you very much.

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