Flagship 2023 Volkswagen ID.6 to offer 700km range

Volkswagen has revealed that when the fifth member of its battery-powered ID range arrives in 2023, the Volkswagen ID.6 will have a range of more than 700km.

Set to be heavily influenced by the ID. Vizzion concept, the range-topping EV is, according to insiders speaking to Autocar, being developed under the 'Aero-B' codename and is being readied to challenge the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQE and the BMW i4.

Externally, the Volkswagen ID.6 is tipped to be a similar size to the current Volkswagen Passat, with the German car-maker developing not only a sedan but a wagon too.

Inside, thanks to its dedicated MEB platform's ingenious packaging, there will be comparable space to a luxury limo like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Tailored to large sedan-loving markets like China, the Volkswagen ID.6 name isn't set in stone, but thought likely since the number six is considered lucky in China.

As with the Volkswagen ID.3 hatch, upcoming ID.4 SUV, ID.5 SUV coupe and the ID Buzz MPV that's due in 2022, VW will offer rear-wheel drive as standard but the most powerful versions will gain a second electric motor that will drive the front axle and provide all-wheel drive.

Instead of a GTI badge for the sportiest versions, VW plans to use the GTX nameplate for the performance model.

According to Frank Welsch, VW's head of R&D, the Volkswagen ID.6 GTX will be capable of a 0-100km/h in less than 5.6 seconds.

The standard single-motor rear-drive version, meanwhile, will reach 100km/h from standstill in a modest 8.5sec.

Like other ID models, the Volkswagen ID.6 will be offered with a choice of battery sizes, with the top-end battery set to be an 84kWh lithium-ion pack that will offer the full 700km range between top-ups.

Maximising the ID.6's range, the electric VW sedan gets reduced rolling resistance tyres, state-of-the-art aerodynamics and improved battery tech.

Enhancing the ownership experience, Volkswagen's next-gen batteries will support 200kW charging that adds an incredible 230km of range in as little as 10 minutes of DC rapid charging.

When production begins in 2023, the Volkswagen ID.6 will be built at Germany's Emden plant, the same location as the current Passat and Arteon.

Currently undergoing an overhaul in preparation to build battery-powered vehicles, the factory will be capable of producing up to 300,000 EVs annually by 2023.

The first ID models to roll out of Emden will be the ID.4 and ID.5 from 2022, following both cars' production switch from the Zwickau plant.

To cope with anticipated demand for the ID.6, a separate production hub will be set up in China via the car-maker's joint-venture partners SAIC and FAW, with the electric sedan due to roll off the lines there in 2024.

According to Autocar, as well as launching a raft of new ID models, Volkswagen will introduce dramatic improvement to the current ID models like the ID.3 hatch that, from July 2021, will get new batteries that can withstand 130kW charging as standard.

There will also be the option of a 170kW variant that can add 150km of range in just 10 minutes using a rapid DC charger.