Volkswagen unveiled the ID.5 Wednesday, the latest model in Volkswagen’s ID fully-electric vehicle line-up. The newest member of the ID family joins the ID.3, a compact hatchback, and the ID.4 CUV and like its siblings, rides atop the corporate MEB platform.
Described by the company as “the first electric SUV coupé from Volkswagen,” the new ID.5 shares its 108.9-inch wheelbase and 181-inch overall length with the ID.4, but receives a different roofline that subtracts about half an inch in rear passenger headroom.
However, it allows for a slightly larger 19.4 cubic foot cargo hold, vs the ID.4’s 19.2 cubic feet. Both models possess a low drag coefficient of 0.26, with the GTX coming in at 0.27.
As with the ID.4, base models come with rear-wheel drive from a single electric motor with two levels of power, while the top-of-the-line GTX has an additional motor at the front axle that provides all-wheel drive. All models are powered by a 77-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
ID.5 by the numbers
The base model’s single engine generates 172 horsepower (128 kW) and 229 pound-feet (310 Nm) of torque. The mid-level ID.5 Pro Performance retains rear-wheel drive but has a more powerful motor rated at 201 hp (150 kW) and 229 lb-ft (310 Nm) of torque.
The dual-motor model, the GTX, makes 295 hp (220 kW), propelling the GTX from 0-62 mph in 6.3 seconds, according to VW. Top speed is 99 mph. Range varies by model. Maximum range is stated to be 323 miles (520 km), with the more powerful GTX coming in at 304 miles (490 km).
ID.5 gets upgraded technology
When it hits the market, the ID.5 will contain version 3.0 of Volkswagen’s ID software, which will allow car-to-car communication with other 3.0-equipped Volkswagen Group vehicles. It will also incorporate more semi-autonomous driving features, including lane changing and self-parking.
A preview of what’s in store for the U.S.
The ID.5 will be built at the company’s Zwickau, Germany factory, and will go on sale in Europe next year. No mention was made of a U.S. market launch. Currently, the ID.4 is the only model in the ID family currently sold in the U.S.
But VW is ready to boost North American EV production if Congress revises its incentive program. U.S. Chief Operating Officer Johan de Nysschen said VW would expand EV production in North America if a new incentive program were approved by Congress. A current proposal being studied would extend the $7,500 EV tax credit, along with a proposal though would add would add $4,500 for vehicles built in the U.S. using union labor and another $500 for batteries made in the U.S.
Volkswagen, like other automakers building vehicles in the U.S. without union labor, finds the proposal unfair. Like Detroit’s automakers, VW modified its production plans to comply with the USMCA, the 2018 update to the North American Free Trade Agreement. So, the company feels vehicles assembled under the USMCA — including Canada and Mexico — should be included.
EV vehicle initiative comes amidst board turmoil
Nevertheless, VW’s move into electrification is causing turmoil at the top of the company, according to a news report.
Automotive News reported a special mediation committee of VW’s supervisory board is meeting to discuss the future of Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess.
The move comes in response to the latest flare up between management and VW’s works council after a recent board meeting where Diess said that 30,000 jobs were at risk as part of the group’s push into electrification.
According to the report, the committee looking into the matter consists of Hans Dieter Poetsch, Porsche SE’s CEO and supervisory board chairman, and VW’s largest shareholder; Stephan Weil, state premier of the German state of Lower Saxony, which has 20% of the board’s voting rights; works council leader Daniela Cavallo; and Joerg Hofmann, head of IG Metall, Germany’s largest trade union.
The company plans for 70% of its European line-up to be EVs by 2030, with the U.S. getting a 50% EV range of cars.