Volkswagen will “in all probability” carry the ID.7 electrical liftback to the USA subsequent yr.
VW beforehand mentioned it is indefinitely suspending the EV within the U.S. as a result of the market is consistently altering.
The Volkswagen ID.7 liftback is an distinctive electrical cruiser, as our personal Editor-in-chief Patrick George came upon after his temporary stint with VW’s electrical Arteon alternative in Europe earlier this yr. “It’s a comfortable, high-tech street journey champion with distinctive vary,” Patrick mentioned in his first drive evaluation, which left us questioning: Why isn’t VW bringing the ID.7 to the USA?
It was presupposed to debut stateside within the third quarter, however then the German automaker acquired chilly toes and delayed the flagship EV attributable to altering “market dynamics” with out offering present a timeline of what would occur subsequent. In different phrases, the unpredictable EV market put the brakes on the ID.7’s launch right here. However that may quickly change, and all of it hinges on demand.
“We’re able to launch the ID.7 so long as there’s shopper demand,” Volkswagen Group of America CEO Pablo Di Si mentioned throughout Automotive Information’ Each day Drive podcast final week. “We’ll in all probability launch it subsequent yr. We have not determined but,” Di Si added.
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So, would you purchase a German-made electrical liftback that’s roughly the scale of a Tesla Mannequin S, has a WLTP-rated driving vary of 382 miles, an estimated beginning worth of $50,000, and can more than likely not be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit score when buying?
The most affordable Tesla Mannequin S is $25,000 costlier than the expected beginning worth of the ID.7 in the USA and has an EPA score of 402 miles on a full cost. It’s additionally all-wheel drive, whereas the bottom Volkswagen ID.7 with the 82-kilowatt-hour battery is rear-wheel drive (dual-motor all-wheel drive can also be within the playing cards, however that may have a good decrease driving vary).
In Europe, VW has been promoting the ID.7 for over a yr–a narrative that is similar to the ID. Buzz that lastly got here to the U.S. after a few two-year delay, albeit with a barely disappointing vary score. That will not be the case with the ID.7 although, as even on the harder EPA testing process, we count on it to supply a minimum of 300 miles of vary
The issue right here is the waning demand for some sedans within the U.S., particularly these powered by electrical energy. The glossy and spacious Hyundai Ioniq 6, as an illustration, which is barely smaller than the ID.7, had its gross sales drop to only 599 models in September, whereas the Tesla Mannequin S has lengthy been relegated to the “Others Fashions” part on the automaker’s supply charts which bundle the Mannequin S, Mannequin X and Cybertruck collectively.
