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VW’s ID.4 electric SUV will have towing capability; Elon Musk drives an ID.3, calls it “pretty good”

Volkswagen’s ID.3 is all very well, but we Americans are more excited about the ID.4, an electric SUV that’s slated to go on sale here in the US in late 2020 or early 2021. Production has started in Germany, and VW recently revealed some details of the interior.

Now VW has released a new video that shows the ID.4 towing a trailer. The Germans confirmed that the new EV will have a towing capacity of up to 4,200 pounds, which is comparable to that of legacy SUVs in its size class.

“The designation ID. stands for intelligent design, identity and visionary technologies,” says VW. “The ID.4 will be available [in Europe] from September 24th, 2020. In future Volkswagen’s ID.4 will be part of the globally booming, compact SUV segment, with plans to produce and sell the e-SUV not only in Europe, but also in China and later in the USA.”

Meanwhile, Elon Musk paid a visit to Germany, where he joined Volkswagen Group Chairman Herbert Diess for a test drive of the ID.3 at Braunschweig Airport. VW shared a short video of the drive, in which we hear the two auto execs sharing some friendly banter.

Diess laughingly warns Musk that the ID.3 is “a mainstream car, not a race machine.” “What’s the worst that could happen?” asks Musk as he floors it down the runway. His verdict? The ID.3’s handling is “pretty good” for a non-sporty car. Musk asked a few questions about the ID.3’s battery pack and driver-assist features. Diess said it is equipped with “the typical German state-of-the-art lane-keeping and emergency-assist systems.”

“Thanks for the visit, Elon!” posted Diess later. “It was great driving the ID.3 with you! You were just quite critical with the available torque at higher speed. I told you: ‘Yes, we are on the runway—but no need for takeoff—it’s not a sports car.’ For this, you should try our Porsche Taycan. Looking forward to our next meeting!”

Sources: Electrek, Teslarati

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