Following the 2018 KTP. Vizzion and 2022 ID. Aero concept, Volkswagen previewed its global electric sedan in near-production guise earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The final version will be closed in the second quarter of this year when the nifty digital camouflage will come on. To ease the wait, the Wolfsburg-based automaker detailed the intelligent air-vent technology that is debuting with the upcoming ID.7.
The quick reaction AC premiere with VW’s first MEB-based electric sedan automatically starts once a lock is detected, even before entering the car. It starts blowing cool air on hot days and vice versa if the doors are opened, distributing the air “rapidly over a wide area through dynamic horizontal motions”. Once the passenger is seated, airflow can be redirected to the body or to other areas.
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The ID.7 will boast a new 15-inch infotainment with enough screen space to always have a shortcut to climate control functions at hand. The smart air vents are digitally controlled in the sense that you have to use the large screen to adjust the direction and intensity of the airflow. Changing the temperature is carried out using the illuminated touch slider mounted below the screen.
Alternatively, voice control can be used to change settings. For example, a driver can say things like “Hello Volkswagen, my hands are cold,” after which warm air will be directed at the steering wheel for approximately five minutes. In addition, the heated steering wheel function will be activated. If the ID.7 is being driven by multiple people, individual user preferences will be available to eliminate the hassle of having to change settings every time a different person gets in the car.
The ID.7 will mark another VW premiere as it will be the first model with an air conditioning system capable of responding to environmental climates. Thanks to the sensor pinned to the windshield, it can detect the angle of incidence of sunlight in conditions with high outside temperatures and high sun intensity. If the sun is shining on either side of the vehicle strongly, the air conditioner will automatically start blowing more cold air over the warmer zones.
Europe and China will be the first markets to get the VW ID.7 later this year, followed by the United States in 2024. ID. The lineup expansion is far from complete as an Atlas-sized ID.8 SUV is planned, along with an entry-level front-wheel drive model likely to be badged as the ID.1 or ID.2.
