Volkswagen unveils next-gen concepts for Chinese car market

Volkswagen has indicated that it plans to augment the portfolio of cars it sells in China with new EREVs in the near future, the first of which could be based on one of its latest prototypes.

Developed in partnership with the well-known OEM SAIC, the ID. ERA has batteries with a fairly conventional range of 300 kilometers (km, or ~184-mile) - however, they are hooked up to a fuel-powered generator that can power them for an estimated 700km (~435 miles) more.

It has been introduced alongside the ID. EVO, the first ever "full-sized" battery-powered SUV developed for Volkswagen Anhui's youth-focused ID.UNYX brand. 

The 800V vehicle also has the same new "zonal" electronic architecture as the ID. AURA, a car with a "notchback" (or more budget-focused sedan, apparently) design that is also the first to feature the FAW-Volkswagen subsidiary's Compact Main Platform (CMP).

The company also touts the ID. AURA to deliver its most Knight Rider-like experience yet with a "smartphone-like" interface that may also feature a "humanoid" AI assistant. 

The real-life cars to be based on all 3 concepts are to acquire support for Level 2++ a by 2026, a form of autonomous driving approved to execute maneuvers such as merging and overtaking by itself, albeit under the driver's supervision, in China.