From every angle, the I.D. adheres to a new design language for compact Volkswagen electric cars. Cars like the I.D. aren’t mere machines, but cars that react interactively. Everything is neatly laid out: ample space, maximum precision, a charismatic front end, iconic C-pillars, flowing, sculpted surfaces and expressive wheels are just a few of the design signatures for Volkswagen electro-mobility.
An electric car doesn’t need large cooling intakes, which changes everything when it comes to front-end design. Interactive LED lights are framed by a C-shaped light signature, and react to other road users. The large, sculpted bumpers and “Anodized Blue” diffusers also give the I.D. a unique appearance. The transparent illuminated Volkswagen logo in the front section emphasises the I.D.’s quality.
From the side, the design is characterised by precision. The voluptuous, flowing surfaces of the side profile merge elegantly into a single, homogeneous surface below the character line. The new design DNA corresponds with innovative technical solutions, such as a lack of B-pillars. The front and rear doors form a protective unit when closed. The rear doors swivel backwards, showcasing the Open Space. Door mirrors have been replaced by cameras, which are integrated into the front fenders. The powerful silhouette is perfectly rounded off by white and blue 20-inch aluminium alloy wheels with blue low-rolling resistance tires.
The trunk lid, which extends across the full width of the car, is contrasted in black. At the sides, the large rear window is framed by vertical aerodynamic fences and at the base by the strikingly narrow horizontal LED taillights. The I.D.’s bumper is a prime example of the avant-garde design of Volkswagen’s future electric cars, which looks as if it were made out of a single piece of aluminium or a translucent block of ice. Right at the bottom of the car’s rear section is a neat and tidy blue diffuser, mirrored by the narrow strip of LED taillights that wrap around to the flanks and the illuminated Volkswagen logo between them.
The four-door I.D. is 161.4 inches long, 6 inches shorter than a Golf. This concept car is 70.9 inches wide and 60.2 inches high. The I.D. has a 108.3-inch wheelbase, which is 5 inches longer than the Golf, so the proportions are even more attractive.
The I.D. communicates with its environment using light. The LED headlights interactively mimic the human eye (interactive spotlight), with the headlights reacting to their environment: for instance, they look in the direction of the driver as he approaches the I.D.
Automated Driving
I.D. is the first Volkswagen that is capable of fully automated driving. Activating the fully automated “I.D. Pilot” mode is easy: the driver just has to press the Volkswagen logo on the steering wheel for three seconds to switch from manual to fully automated mode. The I.D. indicates that it has changed mode with a range of optical signals: the ambient light changes from clear blue light, designed to focus while driving, to a relaxed ambience, with a selection of colours. During the transformation from manual to fully automated mode the light in the Volkswagen logo on the steering wheel pulsates, too. The light distribution of the ambient lighting expands to illuminate the back, and the I.D. signals via the Active Info Display and the AR-Head-up display that it is ready to take control. As soon as the driver takes their hands and feet away from the controls the steering wheel retracts into the dash pad and the fully automated “I.D. Pilot” mode is active.
In fully automated driving mode the four roof-mounted laser scanners are active. They protrude from the roof of the I.D. in “I.D. Pilot” mode, but are also visible thanks to indirect blue lighting, like the diffusers and side sills, indicating that the I.D. is in fully automated mode. The I.D. is capable of detecting other road users not only using its laser sensors, but also with ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors, side area view cameras and a front camera. Traffic data is also constantly collected and compared with the vehicle data via the cloud.
Fully automated mode is deactivated by pressing the brake or accelerator pedals. The I.D. indicates that the driver has to take control again by changing the colour and distribution of the ambient lighting, pulsing the light in the Volkswagen steering wheel logo on the steering wheel, and posting alerts on the Active Info Display and the AR-Head-up Display. The steering wheel then comes out of the dash pad again, reactivating manual driving mode. Visual clues include the illumination of the accelerator and brake pedals and a light pattern in the steering wheel.
The colour scheme and mood of the ambient lighting change along with the manual and fully automated mode. The door panels, the areas under the seats, the seat surfaces and the lower section of the instrument panel are indirectly lit. The ambient lighting also floods into the cabin through a kind of woven mesh that extends between the A-pillars parallel to the windscreen and around the instrument panel. Form and function blend into one here: if a pedestrian appears beside or in front of the I.D., for example, a warning for the driver is projected on the illuminated mesh.
The I.D. doesn’t only drive itself or be driven. It can find a space in a parking structure, all of its own. All the driver has to do is stop the I.D. in a specially marked zone in the entrance to a structure that has the necessary infrastructure and activate the “Pilot for multi-storey car park” using the Volkswagen app. As with the fully automated “I.D. Pilot” mode it is able to detect other cars as well as pedestrians. To ask the I.D. to leave the parking space again, all the driver has to do is tell the Volkswagen to return to its starting zone again via the app.
The ‘Spark’ behind the I.D.
The electric motor has a power output of 168 horsepower (125 kW), giving the I.D. zero to 62 mph acceleration in less than 8 seconds and a top speed of 99 mph. Subsequent production versions could also be offered with more or less powerful electric motors. In parallel, the concept also hints that it will be possible to configure the I.D. with different battery capacities. This would allow the drive system to be modified to suit the owner’s individual needs. The I.D. will have a range of between 249 and 373 miles on a single charge, under European test conditions.
The high-voltage battery used in the I.D. is located in the chassis. As a crucial link, the power electronics control the flow of high-voltage power between the motor and the battery, converting the direct current (DC) stored in the battery into alternating current (AC), while a DC/DC converter supplies the onboard electronics with 12-volt power. Power is transferred from the motor to the rear axle via a single-gear transmission. The motor, power electronics and transmission form one compact unit. The position of the battery has a positive effect as it gives the I.D. a very low centre of gravity, like a racing car’s, and neutral handling. The I.D. is also characterised by an optimal weight distribution of 48:52 percent, front to rear.
The battery can be charged by cable or using an inductive charging interface in the front of the car. To charge by cable, a separate charging plug is needed to connect the car to an electrical outlet. For inductive charging, all the driver needs to do is park the I.D. over a so-called charging plate, with a little help from the electronics to make sure it is in exactly the right position. Over and above that it will be possible to send the car to an inductive charging station, too. Thanks to the rapid charging system the battery is 80 percent charged after just 30 minutes.
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