Having nibbled away at the electric small car and SUV markets, VW is now after a tasty slice of Tesla’s pie
Steve Huntingford Steve.Huntingford@haymarket.com
LATE 2023
THIS IS THE big one for Volkswagen and its ID electric vehicle (EV) line-up. Not literally, you understand – the ID Buzz people carrier is bigger. But as the brand’s answer to the Tesla Model 3, the new ID Aero will take on a car so popular that it topped the UK sales charts for several months in 2022, despite costing almost £50,000 in its cheapest form.
To help with that mission,Volkswagen has paid particular attention to aerodynamics – hence the name of the concept released to show prospective buyers what they can expect.You see, the ease with which an EV can slip through the air has a direct impact on how far it can go on a charge.And the ID Aero is the slipperiest EV that Volkswagen has made so far.
As a result, it promises a range of up to 385 miles from its 77kWh battery.That’s farther than any Model 3 can manage and enough to get you from London to Sheffield and back without stopping.
A cheaper ID Aero with a 52kWh battery will also be offered.And while Volkswagen is still to confirm any details about the electric motors that will power the new model, there will be both single and dual-motor set-ups, with the latter delivering four-wheel drive.
Expect the 77kWh model to have a 170kW maximum charging rate, at which it can be rapid-charged from 10-80% battery capacity in around 30 minutes. However, cheaper variants are likely to be limited to 13
