Volkswagen’s flagship electric sedan, the ID.7, was supposed to arrive in the United States in the 2025 model year. Many potential buyers were watching European markets with a smidgen of envy, wondering what it would be like to drive the ID.7 down Route 66 for some sightseeing. Well, wonder no more. Volkswagen has pulled the plug on the ID.7’s U.S. arrival with next to little explanation.
VW’s Electric Ambitions
The news comes as a bit of a shock. Volkswagen has announced an indefinite delay, citing unspecified market conditions. That’s a masterclass in being vague. That means we are stuck with the ID.4 and ID.5 for now, and for those who want a little bit more style and don’t mind being nostalgic, there’s the ID. Buzz.
There was so much promise with the ID.7 — even the base model puts out 282 horsepower, and its 77 kWh battery promises 384 miles of EPA-rated range. The 86 kWh battery pack never got rated by the EPA, but European WLTP testing gave it a whopping 435-mile range. The twin-motor GTX version sports 395 horsepower, and it’s a real shame we won’t be testing it anytime soon.
Volkswagen Is Shifting Gears
It seems VW is worried that Americans have an insatiable appetite for SUVs, and for that reason, the ID.7 wouldn’t sell in the numbers the company hoped it would. Put it bluntly — the electric sedan doesn’t fit the bill, so the company scraps it. Surely, there are enough people out there wanting a stylish electric sedan? German styling and craftsmanship, Gran Turismo soul — on paper, the ID.7 had it all.
The other possible reason for VW pulling the plug is the state of the American EV market. Volkswagen isn’t exactly having the best time selling its EVs. While the market has grown by 13 percent in the first three months of the year, electric Volkswagen sales dropped by three percent. That is a clear sign that people aren’t buying VWs and not that they don’t like sedans.
In Europe, ID.7 already has a good-looking wagon version. The Tourer ID.7 has been selling like hot buns in Germany and outselling its sedan sibling. Maybe, just maybe, VW wants to focus on the wagon version and doesn’t have the capacity to manufacture U.S.-specced sedans. Perhaps that means we’ll get the Tourer version as well? Now, that would be an excellent outcome.