The Volkswagen ID6 will have a range of 700 km and will arrive in 2023

The electrified family of Volkswagen continues to grow. The fifth member will be called Volkswagen ID6, it is inspired by the Volkswagen ID Vizzion Concept and will have a fully electric range close to 700 kilometres. Its arrival is scheduled for the last quarter of 2023, as reported by Frank Welsch, head of research and development at the German carmaker. This new model is also known by the nickname Aero-B and will become the future rival of the BMW i4 and the Mercedes-Benz EQE. The Volkswagen ID6 will be available with saloon and estate bodywork.

The dimensions of the new Volkswagen ID6 will be quite similar to those of the current Volkswagen Passat, but its interior will offer even greater interior space than the Volkswagen Phaeton. This new German electric car will be built on the MEB modular platform, specific to electric cars within the Volkswagen group. In addition, the new model will follow in the footsteps of the Volkswagen ID3, the Volkswagen ID4 and the Volkswagen ID5, which will be unveiled next year, but we cannot forget the Volkswagen ID Buzz, which will arrive in 2022.

A saloon electric with 700 kilometres of range

Although the name ID6 is not yet official, the number six carries positive connotations in China, the largest market for Volkswagen, and this large saloon is expected to become a very popular vehicle in the region. The new Volkswagen ID6 arriving at the end of 2023 will be offered with a single motor for rear-wheel drive or with two motors if the all-wheel drive version is chosen. The design will also support a performance model, the GTX, which, according to Frank Welsch, will be capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in around 5.6 seconds.

By comparison, the single-motor model will go from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds. Like the other members of the Volkswagen ID family, the ID6 is set to be sold with a wide variety of batteries. Although it is still in its early stages of development, Welsch has confirmed that it will feature an 84 kWh battery pack mounted under the floor of the MEB platform. This battery will offer a range of around 700 km.

Welsch has also pointed out that the efficiency of the lithium battery cell has improved, and a reduction in rolling resistance and new aerodynamic developments are key to the longer range of the ID 6. In addition, the model is planned to support charging at speeds of up to 200 kW, which allows around 230 km of range to be added in just 10 minutes with a DC fast charger. Production of the ID 6 will take place at the Volkswagen plant in Emden, Germany, from 2023. The current home of Passat and Arteon production is undergoing a major upgrade which, according to Volkswagen, will give it an annual capacity of up to 300,000 electric vehicles by 2023. The first ID models to be produced in Emden will be the ID 4 and ID 5 in 2022, both built at the Volkswagen plant in Zwickau. Additional production of the ID 6 is expected to take place in China through Volkswagen’s Chinese joint-venture partners, SAIC and FAW, from 2024.