Volkswagen unveils ID.7 EV with sedan body and 700 km range

Volkswagen completes the ID range of electric cars with the ID.7, a sedan inspired by the Tesla Model Y rival with a claimed range of up to 700 km. Recently, the automaker unveiled the ID.Buzz EV, an EV minivan with a design inspired by 1960s hipster culture.

But the Volkswagen ID.7 is modern-inspired, with the resemblance to rival Tesla Model Y hard to miss, even through the foil-camouflage coating. While the price has yet to be officially confirmed, we can say with a fair amount of confidence that the software side won’t be among the new VW model’s strengths, with the automaker’s failures to deliver a majorly seamless experience on the current ID.4 series adding to a negative reputation that’s hard to right in the near future.

According to VW, the camouflage foil applied to the ID.7 example on display at the official presentation is not really foil at all, possibly the result of a decision to hide design features. Instead, Volkswagen says it is a “pattern” applied directly to the car’s paintwork, with each aspect specifically designed to “create light effects on different parts of the vehicle”:

“This is an interactive feature that symbolises the next step in the digitalisation of the future flagship model of Volkswagen’s EV family.” In total, some 22 paint sections, all made up of more than 40 individual layers of paint and electronics, will light up at the driver’s command or to the rhythm of the sound system. QR codes painted on the bonnet and doors will allow authorised users to check the authenticity of the paintwork via their smartphones.

Regardless of Volkswagen’s ‘madness’, the ID.7 is almost ready for sale to sufficiently bold buyers, it remains to be seen whether, beyond the wondering eyes of pedestrians, the experience offered behind the wheel will live up to the claims of new owners. The company hasn’t said when production will begin, but has confirmed that when the ID.7 goes on sale, it will do so in the Chinese, European and North American markets.