BERLIN -- Volkswagen said it will invest 460 million euros ($482 million) in its Wolfsburg plant to add production of its ID3 full-electric compact hatchback and a new, Tiguan-sized electric SUV.
The SUV will use a further development of the automaker's MEB electric platform called MEB+, which will enable faster charging speeds and longer ranges, VW brand CEO Thomas Schaefer said.
The SUV will complement VW's existing ID4 and ID5 electric SUVs, Schaefer said in a statement on Wednesday. It will use the automaker's highly standardized unified cell that will be produced in VW's cell factory in Salzgitter starting in 2025.
The SUV will be called the I.D. Tiguan and will go into production in 2026, VW sources told Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche. It will be sold alongside the combustion engine Tiguan.
The electric SUV's MEB+ platform will enable ranges of up to 700 km (435 miles) and significantly improve charging times, with charging speeds of 175–200 kW possible.