Volkswagen kicks off ID.7 production in Emden
Volkswagen has officially started production of the ID.7 at its Emden plant and is now gradually ramping it up. Customers in Germany will be able to order the electric sedan, which was presented in April, this month. The VW ID.7 will go on sale this fall.
However, Volkswagen itself emphasizes in the announcement that it celebrated the official production start of the all-electric top model “symbolically” on Monday. In fact, the ID.7 has already been built in small numbers since June. However, at the end of June, it was announced that due to low demand, the late shift in Halls 20 and 20B, where the ID.4 and ID.7 are built, would be cancelled for two weeks. In addition, the plant vacations in electric car production were extended and the introduction of a third shift planned for the fall was postponed. At the time, this also had an impact on the official ceremony to mark the start of production of the ID.7, which also did not take place on the date initially planned.
Numerous high-ranking VW representatives came to Emden for the event, including VW brand manager Thomas Schäfer, Group Human Resources Director Gunnar Kilian, the Chairwoman of the Central and Group Works Councils Daniela Cavallo and Lower Saxony’s Minister President Stephan Weil, who is also a member of the VW Supervisory Board.
While some MEB models of the VW brand are now produced at several locations (the ID.4, for example, in Zwickau and Emden, or the ID.3 in Zwickau, Wolfsburg and Dresden), the plant at the mouth of the River Ems is the only location for the ID.7 in Europe, and the e-sedan is manufactured there for the European and North American markets.
ID.7 production to start with familiar 77 kWh battery pack
As an almost five-meter-long sedan, the ID.7 is aimed at the midsize company car segment, with an electric station wagon from Emden to follow. The ID.7 is the first MEB model to get the more powerful and at the same time more efficient APP550 electric motor (we have summarized details of this 210 kW drive unit here) and also a new battery size: in the ID.7, there is an option of the familiar 77 kWh battery as the ID.7 Pro (615-kilometre WLTP range) and now the ID.7 Pro S with a net energy content of 86 kWh (91 kWh gross) for up to 700 WLTP kilometres. This battery can also be charged with up to 200 kW at peak.
We have prepared details on the dimensions of the ID.7, the special aerodynamic features of the body, and the innovations in the interior in the article on the premiere of the electric sedan. One thing is clear: Production will start with the ID.7 Pro with the familiar 77 kWh battery. VW still does not specify when exactly the ID.7 Pro S with 86 kWh will follow.
Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, reiterated during the ceremony that Volkswagen is sticking to its ambitious plans in terms of electric mobility. “The market launch of the ID.7 is another important milestone on the road to the electric future of our brand,” Schäfer said. “As a Group and brand, we are investing massively in technology, new products and the transformation of our sites like here in Emden.”
“With the ID.7, we now have a mid-size car that also meets upscale demands and will find many friends. For the Emden site, the ID.7 is another step towards the future,” says Stephan Weil. “Driving is becoming electric, this trend is irreversible. It’s good for the climate and provides more driving pleasure. I am very pleased that Emden will become an even more important location for electromobility in Germany with the start of production of the ID.7.”
Works Council member Daniela Cavallo added: “I am sure that with the ID.7, our Emden colleagues will continue the success story of this location, which has so far been linked primarily to the Passat. With its Passat genes, the ID.7 sedan made in Emden fills an important gap in our electric product range and I am convinced that it will be a hit. It is important that we as an industry continue to work vigorously with policymakers on the framework conditions – starting with the charging infrastructure for our customers’ electric vehicles and ending with a competitive environment for us carmakers in Europe.”
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