German automaker Volkswagen said it will launch a new range of avant-grade electric vehicles in the near future.
The company plans to showcase a crossover concept vehicle at the Auto Shanghai 2017 between April 19 and 29. The launch is part of Volkswagen’s goal to introduce electric mobility by 2020.
The new vehicle will be battery-powered and follows the ID and ID Buzz that it premiered in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
With this vehicle, the company plans to take on automakers making electric vehicles such as Tesla, Nissan, Toyota and Honda.
In a statement the company said: “Volkswagen has set the clearly defined goal of advancing electric drive vehicles from the status of a start-up niche to large-scale production models by the middle of the next decade in a worldwide product offensive.
“The concept car that is now making its debut in Shanghai illustrates just how multifaceted the range of these future Volkswagen electric models will be in the year 2020.”
The German automaker plans to sell at least 1 million electric vehicles by the year 2025 and this strategy is being hailed as the company’s efforts for an image makeover after the 2015 dieselgate scandal.
The new vehicle, as claimed the company will be a combination of crossover utility vehicle (CUV), a four door coupé and sport utility vehicle (SUV) in one.
The new vehicle is also claimed to be offering a long range with all wheel drive. It has been designed to be a sporty vehicle suited for both urban environment and rough terrain.
The vehicle also has autonomous capabilities. The steering wheel retracts electrically into the cockpit and it forms a single unit with displays and controls that are implemented fully digitally.
Volkswagen claims that the vehicle’s autonomous driving can recognise its surroundings and other vehicles using laser scanners, ultrasound and radar sensors and cameras for smooth driving and avoiding collisions.
