Have you considered that your cell phone has replaced many other gadgets and screens? The telephone, music player, camera, camcorder, video player and GPS receiver have been swallowed up – and for many the mobile phone has replaced both the TV and the PC.
Soon it will also be able to replace the screen in your car.
It’s at least one of the ideas Volkswagen is considering in an effort to make an electric car as affordable as possible. Currently the model in question is called ID.1 and the aim is for it to cost less than 20,000 euros. The car market is expected in 2026 or 2027.
Avoid having to double up
Cars in this segment will naturally be more easily equipped than more expensive cars. At the same time, functions such as navigation and music streaming are considered by many to be minimum requirements.
– There is no need for advanced technology in these cars. Maybe you can bring your own mobile device into this car instead of having a huge infotainment system, Kai Grünitz tells British site Autocar. Grünitz is responsible for technical development in the Volkswagen management team.
The article continues below the announcement. The article continues below the announcement
And it can certainly make sense: if you ignore the indication of speed, battery status and other vehicle data, the mobile phone can take care of the rest.
Automakers can therefore save large sums of money by eliminating “duplication” of screens and features.
Grünitz also emphasizes that a car from this segment does not have to be a “profit car”, but rather be a typical first purchase to get to know the car brand. The hope is, of course, that the customer will later choose a larger and more expensive Volkswagen.
The article continues below the announcement. The article continues below the announcement
– I was 18 too when I got my first Polo. Then it was a Golf for me. It’s incredibly important to be able to offer a model to first-time buyers, she says.
Three clovers that really drive up prices
Replaces Up!
Grünitz confirms that the ID.1 will be the same size as the recently discontinued Up! model.
– The car will be close to Up! when it comes to areas of use. It will also be a car that fits Volkswagen’s DNA of design and functionality, but at a lower price, he says.
The article continues below the announcement
However, it has not yet been decided whether the name of the novelty will really be ID.1 or whether they will take the name Up! again. Previously, Volkswagen confirmed that strong brands such as Golf and GTI will continue to live in the electric sector.
Small e-Up! has long been a success for VW in Norway
He denies that ID.2 is late
The first on the track, however, is another compact car, the ID.2. Apparently it will replace the classic Polo model, on the market since 1975.
Earlier this week, German Auto, Motor & Sport reported that series production of the ID.2 will be postponed from 2025 to 2026. Grünitz denies this.
– It was said that we postponed the car to 2026, but that’s not true. We are still working on a 36-month timeline, starting in early 2023, he concludes.
Volkswagen admits: it must work much faster
(The article was first published by Broom)
2024-01-13 17:34:29
#cars #cheaper