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Sedans are making a comeback. Volkswagen’s all-new upper midsize electric ID.7 sedan has finally shown its face without camouflage. Ahead of its world premiere on Monday, April 17, in China, the full details and images of VW’s fully electric ID.7 saloon have emerged.

The new ID.7 is based on VW’s modular electric drive matrix (MEB) dedicated EV platform and will be the automaker’s sixth fully electric vehicle.

Volkswagen’s newest model will be the sixth fully electric vehicle in the ID. series, joining the ID.3, ID.4 SUV, ID.5, and ID.Buzz electric van (which just got a solar panel upgrade). In addition, VW sells the ID.6 in China.

The flagship model will be launched in the upper midsize segment in key regions, including Europe, China, and North America.

With a newly developed electric drive motor, VW claims the ID.7 will have significantly more power and efficiency than other MEB-based models as it’s designed for long-range travel. VW even goes as far as calling it an “electric limousine.”

Volkswagen introduced the ID.7 prototype at CES this year, initially claiming the electric sedan would have over 700km (over 434 miles) of range. The automaker included a special camouflage that creates an electroluminescent light effect.

Last month, the first images of the VW ID.7 without the special camo (still lightly disguised) emerged after a German newspaper reader spotted the new EV on a test drive and sent photos in.

We are finally seeing the production version after the Chinese Ministry of Information and Technology (MIIT) released images and specs of the VW ID.7.

Full specs and images of the VW ID.7 revealed in China

Regulatory officials released a list of cars that went through the approval process, showing images and specs of new vehicles, according to Car News China. Tuesday, it released the long-awaited VW ID.7 details.

VW-ID-7-images-1
VW ID.7 electric sedan production version (Source: Car News China)

From the images, the VW ID.7 incorporates elements from its ID Aero and ID Vizzion concepts, but the final design is unique on its own. The front end is about what you would expect from Volkswagen, with a curiously similar look to the iconic Passat model.

The production version shows a full light bar across the front, something that was not included in the prototype shown in January.

In the photo of the rear, you can see the name Vizzion included, which the concept did include full-width light bars on the front and rear, suggesting it could be called the “ID.7 Vizzion” in China.

Dimension-wise, the ID.7 is 4,956 mm long, 1,862 wide, 1,537 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,965 mm, which is very similar to the VW ID.6.

The maximum speed from the 201 hp electric motor and 77 kWh battery is 155 km/h, or less than 100 mph.

Electrek’s Take

Although the ID.7 specs and images have yet to be confirmed by VW, how does the company expect the electric sedan to be a flagship global EV with this kind of power?

It’s likely the ID.7 will have more range and power when it comes to North America, as it’s expected to go on sale in early 2024 after launching in Europe by the end of this year.

Volkswagen is promising a long-range model with over 400 miles range; something is likely to change when it comes to the US, or the term “flagship” will not be fitting.

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Rare earth stocks surge on U.S-China trade dispute over the critical minerals

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Rare earth stocks surge on U.S-China trade dispute over the critical minerals

A dump truck moves raw ore inside the pit at the Mountain Pass mine, operated by MP Materials, in Mountain Pass, California, U.S., on Friday, June 7, 2019.

Joe Buglewicz | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Shares of U.S. rare earth miners surged in early trading Monday, after President Donald Trump threatened China with retaliation over its strict export controls.

USA Rare Earth soared more than 18%, Critical Metals surged 18%, Energy Fuels jumped more than 11%, and MP Materials rallied about 8%.

Trump on Friday threatened China with a “massive” increase in tariffs in retaliation for Beijing imposing strict export controls on rare earth elements. The president then dialed down his rhetoric on Sunday, saying the situation with China will “be fine.”

The Defense Department, meanwhile, is accelerating its effort to stockpile $1 billion worth of critical minerals, according to The Financial Times.

And JPMorgan Chase said Monday it would invest up to $10 billion in companies that are crucial to U.S. national security.

“It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing — all of which are essential for our national security,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in press release.

Rare earths are a subset of critical minerals that are crucial inputs in U.S. weapons platforms, robotics, electric vehicles and other applications.

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Bloom Energy shares soar more than 30% after striking deal with Brookfield to provide fuel cells to AI data centers

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Bloom Energy shares soar more than 30% after striking deal with Brookfield to provide fuel cells to AI data centers

Bloom Energy power storage equipment in San Ramon, California.

Smith Collection | Gado | Archive Photos | Getty Images

Shares of Bloom Energy surged Monday after striking a deal with Brookfield to deploy fuel cells for artificial intelligence data centers.

Brookfield will spend up to $5 billion to deploy Bloom Energy’s technology, the first investment in its strategy to support big AI data centers with power and computing infrastructure.

Shares of Bloom Energy were up more than 30% in early trading. Bloom’s fuel cells provide onsite power that can be deployed quickly because they do not rely on the electric grid.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told CNBC last week that the AI industry will need to build power off the electric to meet demand quickly and protect consumers from rising electricity prices.

“Data center self-generated power could move a lot faster than putting it on the grid and we have to do that,” Huang told CNBC on Oct. 8.

This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

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JPMorgan Chase says it will invest $10 billion into industries critical for national security

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JPMorgan Chase says it will invest  billion into industries critical for national security

JPMorgan Chase says it will invest $10 billion into industries critical for national security

JPMorgan Chase on Monday said it is launching a decade-long plan to help finance and take direct stakes in companies it considers crucial to U.S. interests.

The bank said in a statement it would invest up to $10 billion into companies in four areas: defense and aerospace, “frontier” technologies including AI and quantum computing, energy technology including batteries, and supply chain and advanced manufacturing.

The money is part of a broader effort, dubbed the Security and Resiliency Initiative, in which JPMorgan said it will finance or facilitate $1.5 trillion in funding for companies it identifies as crucial. It said the total amount is 50% more than a previous plan.

“It has become painfully clear that the United States has allowed itself to become too reliant on unreliable sources of critical minerals, products and manufacturing — all of which are essential for our national security,” JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said in the release.

As the biggest American bank by assets and a Wall Street juggernaut, JPMorgan was already raising funds and lending money to companies in those industries. But the move helps organize the company’s activities around national interests at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China.

On Friday, markets tumbled as President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on Chinese imports after the major U.S. trading partner tightened export controls on rare earths.

In the release, Dimon said that the U.S. needs to “remove obstacles” including excessive regulations, “bureaucratic delay” and “partisan gridlock.”

JPMorgan said that within the four major areas, there were 27 specific industries it would look to support with advice, financing and investments. That includes areas as diverse as nanomaterials, autonomous robots, spacecraft and space launches, and nuclear and solar power.

“Our security is predicated on the strength and resiliency of America’s economy,” Dimon said. “This new initiative includes efforts like ensuring reliable access to life-saving medicines and critical minerals, defending our nation, building energy systems to meet AI-driven demand and advancing technologies like semiconductors and data centers.”

The bank said it would hire an unspecified numbers of bankers and create an external advisory council to support its initiative.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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