These days, one of Volkswagen’s most iconic models, the Passat, comes to an end after a successful 50-year history spanning eight generations. Depending on the body, period and market, the car was also sold under the names Santana, Quantum, Dasher, Magotan, Corsar and Carat.
The VW plant in Emden is preparing for a historic stop in some of its lines, which means saying goodbye to the Passat and undergoing a transformation to accommodate what will be its successor: the ID electric saloon. Aero. However, the brand’s electric family (ID.) will have a sixth member after ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.6 and ID. Buzz, which also recently started production.
The Emden plant in Lower Saxony, which already houses the ID.4, is preparing to start production of the ID. Aero from next year. A total of 1,600 employees are working to pave the way for the new model while normal activity continues and the summer holidays are used to improve production processes for the ID.4, which is expected to ramp up capacity in the second half of the year.
Chairman of the Board of Works Manfred Wolf commented: “We have had eight successful generations of Passats in 45 years. They formed our factory and East Friesland. With company leave, we say goodbye to the Passat, which has given us so much work and safety over the years and decades since the summer of 1977. Now with ID.4 and from 2023 exclusively with ID. As the electric successor to the Passat, the Aero continues our factory’s success story.
Wolff’s reference to the Passat being “45 years old” is explained by the fact that that’s how long the car has been in production at his factory. From 1973 to 1975 it was produced at the Salzgitter plant, and from 1974 to 1977 at the Wolfsburg plant, Volkswagen’s headquarters. Since 1977, the Passat has been produced in Emden, and since 1992 also in Zwickau. The Passat CC also left the Emden from 2008 to 2016, making way for the current Arteon from 2017.
The President of the Works Council took the opportunity to thank the many factory workers who postponed their summer vacations to improve the ID.4 lines and prepare the plant for ID. Aero.
Aerodynamics and efficiency
From the prototype of the latter, we know that it has a length of about five meters and a highly aerodynamic design. Its coupe-style roof, with a graceful slope, helps achieve a ratio of 0.23. Volkswagen’s modular electric motor (MEB) platform also allows for a short overhang, a long wheelbase and an exceptionally spacious interior.
Aero has a lithium-ion battery with an energy capacity of 77 kWh. Combining efficient performance and the excellent aerodynamic properties mentioned above, it achieves a range of up to 620 kilometers in the WLTP homologation test.
The Volkswagen electric is a new example of the great flexibility that distinguishes the German group’s MEB platform, which can adapt to vehicles of various shapes and sizes. crossover Compact for an SUV, it can fit into a minivan or a spacious sedan like the Passat to take its place.
With the Aero ID card, MEB allows the ID family to arrive. to the sedan segment, a territory hitherto unexplored by the German manufacturer. In addition, this platform fully utilizes the possibilities of electromobility and provides great autonomy, the highest level of digital interconnection and the possibility of remote updates. on the air.
Source: El Diario
