Volkswagen’s new ID.7 electric sedan spotted for the first time in Germany without camo
Volkswagen (VW) is set to release the series production version of its newest electric sedan, the ID.7, within the next few months. Although VW teased a special camouflaged model earlier this year, the ID.7 was caught without camouflage for the first time in Germany this week, giving us a closer look at what we can expect.
VW ID.7 electric sedan spotted undisguised in Germany
The ID.7 electric sedan is the sixth fully electric vehicle as part of VW’s ID series, which includes the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, and ID.6 (only in China) alongside the new ID. Buzz EV bus.
VW claims the ID.7 will expand the ID family into the upper middle class of the high volume segment, in other words, premium luxury as the highest model in the series.
Last June, the automaker launched the ID. AERO in China, an electric sedan based on the MEB platform with up to 700 km (434 miles) WLTP range and enhanced aerodynamics. The concept was a preview of what to expect for its global model, according to VW, with an aerodynamic design and 700km range capabilities.
On the inside, VW took the driving experience to the next level with new:
- Display concept
- Augmented reality head-up display
- A 15-inch screen
- new easily accessible air conditioning controls integrated into the infotainment
- Illuminated touch slider
The air conditioning feature can detect when the driver is approaching and will start the intelligent vents to cool the interior on hot days and heat it on cold ones before you even get in.
When VW introduced the ID.7 at CES, the electric sedan featured a special camouflage with 40 layers of paint to light the model up interactively.
Thanks to a Wolfsburger Nachrichten reader in Germany who spotted the electric sedan, we are seeing our first glimpse of the undisguised (or lightly camouflaged) VW ID.7 on a test drive in Braunschweig.
Volkswagen’s new sedan will be one of ten new EV models to be launched by 2026 and the second global electric model after the ID.4, as the automaker aims to have one in every category.
The automaker says the global debut of the production version of the ID.7 is expected in the second quarter of 2023, which will first launch in China, and then later in the US and Europe.
Volkswagen also unveiled the ID 2all concept earlier this month, a low-cost EV with 279 miles (450 km) starting under $27,000 (€25,000) as part of its plan to fend off incoming competition from Tesla and other EV makers.
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Environment
U.S. oil rises as Israel tells Palestinians to evacuate Rafah, Saudi Aramco increases prices
Palestinians, including children, collect usable belongings in the heavily damaged buildings after Israeli attacks in Rafah, Gaza on February 12, 2024. Building targeted in the Israeli attacks and surrounding structures were damaged as Israel’s air, land and sea attacks continue on the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Jehad Alshrafi/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Jehad Alshrafi | Anadolu | Getty Images
U.S. oil rose Monday, trying to recover from last week’s steep declines, after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and Saudi Aramco raised its official crude prices.
Here are today’s energy prices:
- West Texas Intermediate June contract: $78.88 a barrel, up 77 cents, or 1%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has gained 10%.
- Brent July contract: $83.66 a barrel, up 70 cents, or 0.83%. Year to date, the global benchmark has risen 8.5%.
- RBOB Gasoline June contract: $2.56 per gallon, up 0.27%. Year to date, gasoline futures have risen about 22%.
- Natural Gas June contract: $2.18 per thousand cubic feet, up 1.63%. Year to date, gas has fallen about 13.4%.
Oil dropped more than 6% last week, as traders rolled back geopolitical risk premium on fears of war between Iran and Israel, and as crude inventories in the U.S. surged on weaker demand.
WTI vs. Brent
But tensions in the Middle East are rising again after the Israel Defense Forces told some 100,000 Palestinians to leave the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Efforts to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas have stalled again, with the two sides accusing each other of sabotaging a deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed that Israel would not submit to international pressure to end the war in Gaza until Hamas is defeated.
“If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone,” Netanyahu said in a speech commemorating the Holocaust at Yad Vashem. “And I say to you, we will defeat our genocidal enemies. Never again is now.”
And Saudi Arabia raised the prices of its flagship crude destined for Asia for the third consecutive month, according to a price list seen by Bloomberg News. The price hike suggests Riyadh sees robust demand on the horizon.
Booming investment in solar and battery manufacturing is rapidly becoming a powerful global economic driver, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
In a first-of-its-kind analysis from the IEA, “Advancing Clean Technology Manufacturing” finds that global investment in the manufacturing of five key clean energy technologies – solar, wind, batteries, electrolyzers, and heat pumps – rose to $200 billion in 2023, an increase of more than 70% from 2022 that accounted for around 4% of global GDP growth and nearly 10% of global investment growth.
Spending on solar PV manufacturing more than doubled last year, while investment in battery manufacturing rose by around 60%.
As a result, solar PV module manufacturing capacity today is already in line with what is needed in 2030 based on the IEA’s net zero emissions scenario. For battery cells, if announced projects are included, manufacturing capacity is 90% of the way toward meeting net zero demand at the end of this decade.
The report finds that many projects in the pipeline will be operational soon. Around 40% of investments in clean energy manufacturing in 2023 were in facilities that are due to come online in 2024. For batteries, this share rises to 70%.
Clean energy manufacturing is still dominated by China, which is currently home to more than 80% of global solar PV module manufacturing capacity, followed by the US and India with 5%, and Europe with just 1%. That’s not expected to change this decade.
However, the report finds that the manufacturing of battery cells could become less geographically concentrated in China by 2030. If all announced projects are realized, Europe and the US could each reach around 15% of global installed capacity by 2030.
New data and analysis based on plant-level assessments of more than 750 factories indicate that China remains the lowest-cost producer of all clean energy technologies. Battery, wind, and solar PV manufacturing facilities are typically 70-130% more expensive to build in the US and Europe than in China.
However, the vast majority of total production costs for these technologies (70-98%) is estimated to come from operational costs that include energy, labor, and materials. The IEA says the implication is that current production cost gaps can be influenced by policy.
“While greater investment is still needed for some technologies – and clean energy manufacturing could be spread more widely around the globe – the direction of travel is clear. Policy makers have a huge opportunity to design industrial strategies with clean energy transitions at their core,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol.
The report, produced in response to a request from G7 Leaders in 2023, is designed to provide guidance for policy makers as they prepare industrial strategies with a strong focus on clean energy manufacturing.
Read more: The US just proposed 18 GW of new offshore wind sales
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Stories we discuss in this episode (with links)
Joby completes pre-production eVTOL testing, segues into production prototype flight certification
This German startup is pioneering recyclable wooden wind turbine blades
US updates EV tax credit rules, enabling more electric cars to be eligible
Watch this autonomous excavator build a 215 foot retaining wall
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