Volkswagen has announced that it will release its new ID.Life at the 2021 IAA Mobility which took place in Munich. The latest addition to its EV edition will be a front-wheel-drive EV aiming at the city-dwellers across the place. It uses the MEB platform and the company is planning to launch it in Europe by 2025. There is no saying about its launch in the US.
The ID.Life will be powered by a 231 horsepower motor and 57.0 kWh battery pack. This is considerably larger when we compare it with a Honda E city car having a 35-kWh battery. It can go around 250 miles on a charge via Europe’s generous WLTP cycle. Much like Volkswagen’s rear-wheel-drive ID.3, this is also available only in Europe. And also like other EVs in Munich, ID.Life’s concept shows how VW is creating more sustainable vehicles. Wood chips are used for the clear coat paint, which is a natural agent, and also for the roof, its air chamber textile is made from 100 percent recycled PET bottles. Other sustainable materials used are wood in the dashboard, rice husks in the tires, and ArtVelours Eco seats along with natural rubber and bio-oil.
VW says that the wide-open MEB platform helps the interior in many ways. It can be transformed by folding down the front or the rear bench seats. This ensures that it can be used for multi-purposes like cinema seating, placing a bed measuring around 2 meters in length, and for cargo purposes that maximize luggage capacity. In the case of the hexagonal steering wheel, it replaces the traditional touchscreen display with a digital screen. You can also plug in your smartphones here and can be used to operate navigation, audio systems, and more. A built-in video game console and also a projector with a projection screen extending from the dash panel are also there.
The new production car which is all set to be launched in Europe by 2025 will have some or all of these features. Volkswagen mentioned that the latest ID.Life’s price will be starting around 20.000 euros, that is about $23,7000. Volkswagen with its sales of this EV, the ID.3, and others are expecting to raise its share of all-electric sales in Europe to 70% by 2030 and in the US up to 50 percent.
