Volkswagen has been providing an insight into the brand’s first all-electric SUV following the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show. The new ID.4 will  be launched this year. Following in the tracks of the ID.3, the countdown has already begun for the second model based on the new modular electric drive matrix (MEB). “Just like the ID.3, the ID.4 will also come onto the market as a carbon-neutral vehicle”, explains Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer of the Volkswagen brand. “We will produce and sell the ID.4 in Europe, China and the U.S..”

Volkswagen says the design of this zero-emission SUV is particularly aerodynamic. Ralf Brandstätter: “The outstanding aerodynamics reduce the drag coefficient, and it will boost the ID.4’s range to up to 500 kilometres, depending on the drive package.”

The ID.4 will initially be launched with rear-wheel drive, while an electric all-wheel drive version will be added to the portfolio at a later date. The high-voltage battery is positioned near the center of the underbody to create a low centre of gravity and an optimum in terms of driving dynamics, along with an well-balanced axle load distribution. The fully digital cockpit of the zero-emission SUV is operated primarily using touch surfaces and voice control.

For Volkswagen, the ID.4 and ID.3 represent important milestones in the brand’s bid to become entirely carbon-neutral by 2050 – in line with the Paris climate agreement. Plans have been put in place to reduce the Volkswagen fleet’s CO_2-emissions by a third by as early as 2025. Volkswagen says it is currently investing one billion euro to electrify its model range while also offering an increasing number of hybrid vehicles.