Volkswagen reveals design sketches of new electric vehicle ahead of Paris debut

Volkswagen has released new pictures of its first electric-only model ahead of its full reveal at the Paris motor show next week.

By Jimi Beckwith, Autocar UK

23 Sep 2016

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Volkswagen reveals design sketches of new electric vehicle ahead of Paris debut

Volkswagen has shown its upcoming electric model in a series of revealing sketches ahead of its debut at the Paris motor show.

The EV, which will be revealed next week, is a five-door hatchback with sliding rear passenger doors.

The images confirm it gets futuristic lighting and a rear roofline that extends out beyond the tailgate. With no combustion engine to feed, the car's nose is short and has no grille.

The model, which has been scheduled for release in 2019, will be capable of travelling between 400 and 480 km on a single charge, according to VW Group CEO Matthias Müller, with charging only taking 15 minutes.

The man in charge of the project, Christian Senger, said a range of 400 km is adequate for everyday use. The car will also use a conventional mainly steel body. "Construction will be the same as today. There won’t be any radical body concepts," said Senger.

The EV will be a similar size to the brand's Golf hatchback, but the benefits of the packaging of electric vehicles mean that interior space is set to rival that of the larger Passat.

Autocar UK knows that the car will be packed with technology, including a 24-hour internet connection and a continuous link to a Volkswagen app store. A 'Volkswagen ID' will be specific to every driver, with their preferences and settings saved and applied to other cars, such as hire cars, that the driver may use.

The model will be the second of five electric Volkswagen electric vehicles, all developed as the brand looks to move away from fossil fuels following the Dieselgate emissions scandal. The follow-up models to the hatchback will be a crossover, a luxury saloon and a sports car. An MPV will come before the hatchback and will most likely be a production version of the Budd-e concept.

Volkswagen's target is to be selling two-three million fully electric vehicles by 2025.

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