VW confirms ID4 name for electric crossover

Volkswagen has confirmed that the second car to be built on its MEB electric platform will be called the ID4.

The compact crossover will be the VW brand's first battery-powered crossover and the first of its MEB-based electric cars aimed at global markets. It will be built and sold in Europe, the U.S. and China.

The ID4 will have a range of up two 500 km (311 miles) on a single charge, depending on the battery size and drivetrain configuration.

VW revealed the ID4's name during a livestream on Tuesday that took place instead of the automaker's planned news conference at the Geneva auto show. The show was due to start Tuesday but was canceled last Friday because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The ID4 will initially be launched with rear-wheel drive. An all-wheel-drive version will be added later, VW said in a release.

The ID4 will offer an "airy and bright" vehicle interior with "superlative" cabin space, the automaker said.

The higher roofline will enable VW to redesign the rear seats for better leg comfort, addressing a criticism of the ID3, VW's first MEB car. The Golf-sized ID3 compact hatchback is targeted at European customers and will not be sold in the U.S.

The ID4 was shown with heavy camouflage at the Frankfurt auto show last September. The new car has a more traditional shape than the 2017 ID Crozz concept on which it's based. The ID4 is scheduled to arrive at U.S. and European dealerships in late 2020.

The crossover is expected to be the first EV built on a new $800 million electric-car assembly line at VW's U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It will also be produced alongside the ID3 in Zwickau, Germany, for Europe, and in Anting, China.

VW Group's MEB platform will underpin 27 EVs by the end of 2022 for its VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat brands. VW is offering the platform to other automakers and Ford plans to offer an MEB-based vehicle in Europe starting in 2023.

The plan to roll out the ID3 in Europe this summer still stands, VW said on Tuesday, pushing back against recent media reports that suggested the car could be delayed by about a year.

Manager Magazin had reported that software problems threaten to delay the ID3's European rollout. The problems stem from the basic architecture of the ID3's software, which was developed "too hastily," the magazine said, citing company insiders. Many of the system's elements do not understand each other, leading to dropouts and other difficulties, the report said.

Bloomberg contributed tot this report