The Volkswagen ID. is spotted in South Africa during its final tests before production

The arrival of a new electric family within Volkswagen is no longer news, since the Wolfsburg-based company confirmed that the first ID. will see the light of day at the end of next year. However, the German firm has wanted to offer us a significant treat to soothe our eagerness to see its new 100% electric vehicle. It has been spotted driving in South Africa, where it has carried out its final tests before entering production lines, a clear sign that many of the features we can glimpse will be present in the final result.

That Volkswagen chose this location is no mere coincidence, since the company has gone to the heart of South Africa so that its future ID. can face extreme situations. In this way, engineers will be able to check the resilience their future electric vehicle has against countless stresses, such as extreme heat or adverse terrain. This is also how they will check the performance of the battery and the behaviour of the various mechanical components in different situations.

To this end, Volkswagen has also taken the ID. to areas where dense traffic is a characteristic feature. In this way, it has also been possible to analyse the behaviour of Volkswagen’s electric car in one of its main environments, the city. With this scenario, every single parameter of the new ID. can be analysed, improved and its performance redefined for the production phase.

In one of the two prototypes, the electric motor is located between the two axles, a position that could change depending on how these first units behave. On the other hand, the engineers assure us of a comfortable and calm ride, where the 20-inch wheels are able to cautiously absorb the imperfections of the terrain, but an imprecise steering with little feedback has led the German engineers to seek to recalibrate it.

The mechanical data of the Volkswagen ID. are a mystery to us for now, but the German firm has confirmed that it will be able to deliver more than 300 Nm of torque, an impressive figure more typical of sports cars. At the same time, Volkswagen has confirmed that, despite the harsh heat and dense traffic conditions, the ID. has managed to keep a range of 200 kilometres intact even with the air conditioning running.

https://youtu.be/Q8GzXf45KEk

This will be the first Volkswagen to use the new MEB platform, from which engineers and designers have developed a small compact MPV, with smooth, rounded lines that will set the firm’s new design language. Despite the camouflage, we can make out several details that hint at a completely new vehicle, one that will aim to go head-to-head with the BMW i3 when the ID. goes on sale in early 2020.