Back in April, Volkswagen showed off an electric crossover concept called the I.D. Crozz at the Shanghai Auto Show. Built on the automaker’s Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB), it offered 302 horsepower from two electric motors, all-wheel drive, and a 311-mile range.
Automotive News reports that Volkswagen has confirmed plans to build an electric crossover based on the I.D. Crozz and that it’s headed to the U.S. in 2020. That will make it the first vehicle coming to the U.S. built on the company’s MEB platform. The report didn’t include any other details about the upcoming Tiguan-sized electric crossover, but hopefully, the production version maintains most of the I.D. Crozz’s slick styling. VW has also debuted a concept electric hatchback and electric van under the I.D. label.
According to Reuters, Herbert Diess, Volkswagen’s CEO, recently admitted in an internal company post that its electric capabilities are still behind Tesla’s. When asked about Volkswagen’s main competitors, Diess said, “In the old world it is Toyota, Hyundai, and the French carmakers. In the new world it is Tesla. Tesla belongs among the competitors which has abilities that we currently do not have.”
Volkswagen sold about 5,900,000 more vehicles than Tesla did last year, but according to Diess, the American startup has better electric motors, a superior charging network, more advanced driver-assist technology, and an innovative distribution method. “This shows that we need to significantly improve. We can do this. We measure ourselves against Tesla quite deliberately. Our goal: Using our abilities not just to catch up, but even to overtake,” said Diess.
But while it may not currently be a match for Tesla, it isn’t entirely inexperienced at building electric vehicles. For the last several years, Volkswagen has sold an electric version of its popular hatchback, the e-Golf.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription required), Reuters
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