
With the new I.D. VIZZION, the Volkswagen brand has today given a glimpse of the individual mobility of the future on the evening before the Geneva Motor Show.
The full electric sedan will be the future top model of the I.D. family and will reach the roads by 2022 at the latest. In addition, it is prepared for fully autonomous driving. The I.D. VIZZION is part of Volkswagen’s major product and technology offensive. By 2025, the brand intends to sell at least 1 million electric cars per year and to become the market leader in e-mobility.
Dr. Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen brand said: “The I.D. VIZZION shows what our brand is capable of in terms of technology, design and quality. It is the most personal, most emotional and most individual Volkswagen of all times. And it also shows that, even in the electric, self-driving future, we will be using desirable, expressive and individual automobiles – and not just uniform tin boxes.
The I.D. VIZZION is based on the newly developed modular electrification toolkit (MEB) and underscores the technological performance capabilities of this architecture. From the outside, it is as large as a Passat, but it offers as much space in the interior as a Phaeton. The interior has the shape and materials of a lounge. In addition, the radical simplification of operation makes for effortless mobility. Passengers can opt for entertainment, information, relaxation or work, in line with their personal wishes. The pure electric range of the model is up to 650 kilometers (400 miles).
“The I.D. VIZZION is our very realistic vision for a Volkswagen of the future. And we will be offering this model – by the latest in 2022 as the top sedan in the I.D. family with the innovative I.D. cockpit and a steering wheel. The model will be prepared for fully autonomous driving. Step-by-step, it will relieve the driver of tasks – if the driver so wishes. With the I.D. VIZZION we are underlining Volkswagen’s claim: we want to be among the leaders in shaping the individual mobility of the future.
With the MEB, Volkswagen has developed a powerful tool that covers the entire range of individual mobility. From compact cars to SUVs and large luxury limousines, everything is possible. By 2025, the Volkswagen Group will start production of more than 15 full electric models on the basis of the MEB. The first models are to be launched in 2020.
The I.D. Family is Volkswagen’s range of newly-developed electric vehicles with long driving ranges and visionary design that will come to market in quick succession. Three I.D. models have already been presented as concept cars: the compact I.D., the I.D. CROZZ SUV and the I.D. BUZZ microbus.
All-New Electric Architecture
The drive system components of the All-New Electric Architecture – two motors, two gearboxes, the electronics that link everything together and the high-voltage battery – are optimally incorporated into the I.D. VIZZION package. The lithium ion battery has an energy capacity of 111 kWh and is housed in the vehicle floor. This creates space, lowers the center of gravity and ensures ideal weight distribution. The same applies to the two electric motors on the front and rear axles. The motor in front is a 75 kW coaxial drive, and a compact 150 kW motor is used at the rear. They develop a total system power of 225 kW and drive their respective axles directly. Intelligent drive control ensures optimal handling properties in every situation.
Powered in this way, the I.D. VIZZION can cover distances of up to 665 kilometers on a single battery charge. The power electronics are a crucial link for controlling the flow of high-voltage energy between the motors and the battery. The power electronics convert the direct current (DC) stored in the battery into alternating current (AC). The ideal method for charging the battery is over an inductive interface. But conventional charging via a plug is also possible with the Combined Charging System (CCS), charging stations or conventional electrical sockets.
Driving without a driver
Volkswagen is showing the maximum extension stage of automated driving in the I.D. VIZZION. The levels of automation are subdivided into five levels. From Level 4, the multiple redundantly designed technologies for automated driving are so intelligent that a driver is no longer needed. Nonetheless, cars operating at Level 4 still have a steering wheel and cockpit inside, and the user can choose to drive it conventionally as well. In the I.D. VIZZION designed for Level 5, this is no longer the case. It drives exclusively as a fully autonomous vehicle. Consequently, there is no longer any need for a driver’s seat, steering wheel, dash panel or foot pedals. This frees up more space in the lounge-like open space.
The I.D. VIZZION detects its environment via inter-connected laser scanners, ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors for objects in the near-zone and radar sensors for long distances, front and rear cameras and side area view cameras. The sensors are not visible in the latest I.D. concept car. Traffic data is also continually obtained via the cloud and is compared with the data in the I.D. VIZZION. Future networking of vehicles with one another will also enable the Volkswagen car to utilise the swarm intelligence of the immediate surroundings and the larger environment (Car-2-Car and Car-2-X). In addition, the I.D. VIZZION integrates high-resolution digital maps into navigation.
Volkswagen assumes that Level 4 and Level 5 of fully automated driving will already be a reality in 2025. This means that autonomous driving will become a part of mobility sooner than was assumed for a long time.