Golf-rivalling I.D. concept
VW's reputation is up in smoke at the moment - quite literally a smog of diesel-emission pollutants.
But just one year after being outed for cheating emissions tests, the German carmaking powerhouse plans to regain customer trust with a new electric-car fleet, and this I.D. concept showcases what the first model in that zero-emissions range might look like.
This post-dieselgate model has some big claims too, including a Tesla-challenging range of up to 373 miles on a full charge.
Volkswagen's I.D. concept is the brand's vision of what mainstream car ownership could look like - essentially an all-electric alternative to buying a VW Golf (though there already is an e-Golf for sale).
Like the raft of new models promised to follow it, the I.D. is built on the manufacturer's MED platform, standing for Modular Electric Drive.
This will become the basis of what all its future electric cars will be based around, sharing similar chassis design, powertrains, suspension components and brakes when they arrive in 2020.
The I.D. is also a fully autonomous vehicle, featuring a self-driving system VW promises to launch to the market in 2025, by which time the carmaker expects to be selling one million electric cars a year.
Powering the zero-emissions Golf alternative is an electric motor packing around 168bhp with batteries offering enough power to drive continuously for between 250 and 373 miles.
Volkswagen said the I.D. can even be recharged wirelessly to avoid the hassle of having to plug it in at home or track down a charging post when on the move.
The brand claims an 80 per cent re-charge can be achieved in 30 minutes - far quicker than the existing selection of electric cars.
If you haven't got a specific charging point for the car at home, VW will also provide the option to plug it into the mains as with current EVs.
That 375-mile range figure dwarfs that of the current e-Golf, which is a meagre 118 miles on a full charge.
The design, while futuristic, does have something very Golf about it in terms of styling, though one big difference is the sliding rear doors that aid easy access into the back seats.
On the inside, Volkswagen has adopted an open-plan design to the cabin which is minimalist to say the least.
And it becomes even more sparse if you switch the car into the autonomous setting by tapping the VW logo on the steering wheel, which then retracts and sinks flush into the dash taking control of the vehicle away from the driver.
The front seats then slide back to put the occupants into a more relaxed, lounge-style position.
But this isn't the only electric project Volkswagen has in the pipeline as it tries to remedy fitting millions of cars worldwide with emissions-cheating defeat devices.
During a presentation at the Paris Motor Show, CEO Mattias Mueller said the brand has teamed up with Gett - a rival to Uber - to create a self-driving mobility service for businesses.
Unnamed at the moment, the division will sit alongside the VW Group's 12 other marques including Audi, Porsche and Bentley and operate out of headquarters in Berlin when it is functioning.
-Daily Mail