(Keywords: dual-motor four-wheel drive, electronic differential, 91-degree battery, AC asynchronous motor + permanent magnet synchronous motor)
Volkswagen's electric car family is slowly improving, and now it has also launched a high-performance four-wheel drive electric tourer, the Volkswagen Passat R36 is a smash hit, and now the high-performance touring car is appearing in a pure electric way, the ID.7 GTX Tourer station wagon not only focuses on performance and handling, but also unambiguous in terms of practicality, the size and storage space are close to the SUV model, what are the technical details of the ID.7 GTX?
Driving
The suspension of the ID7 GTX has been specially tuned for the GTX version's high-powered motors, with a larger diameter anti-roll bar to reduce the car's roll, while the standard sports progressive steering system improves steering precision and reduces the amount of false position when turning the steering wheel, while the change in steering force is also predictable and does not change suddenly.
The GTX Tourer can be equipped with the optional DCC Adaptive Chassis Control System, which automatically changes the damping of the suspension according to the driving situation. After manually activating the ESC sport mode, the output of the motor can be increased for a short time, the suspension damping becomes larger, and of course when driving in the city, it is possible to switch to comfort mode, but the comfort of bumpy sections decreases due to the use of a stiffer anti-roll bar.
The GTX version also doesn't compromise on range, with a 91-degree battery, which is larger than the standard ID.7 Tourer Pro battery, with the battery modules increased from 12 to 13. The battery assembly consists of an underbody guard, an all-round frame of the battery housing, a floor plate with an integrated cooling system, a battery module, a battery management system, a battery management controller, etc., and the integrated design was developed in-house by Volkswagen. The ID.7 GTX Tourer has a DC fast charging power of 200 kW and can be charged from 10% to 80% in just half an hour.
Ride
The design of the ID.7 GTX Tourer differs from the standard ID.7 with arrow-shaped daytime running lights on both sides of the front bumper, a design at the front that reduces drag while increasing air pressure and eliminating lift on the front axle, larger wheels and some contrasting designs that contrast with the standard model.
Inside, you'll find integrated sports seats with the GTX logo on the front seat backs, red stitching, a GTX-specific steering wheel and trim on the door panels to add a sporty vibe. Although it is a high-performance car, Volkswagen does not sacrifice comfort for weight reduction, and the GTX can be equipped with optional ergoActive seats, upholstered in ArtVelours Eco flannel, which offer electric 12-way adjustments, including thigh support adjustments, and seat ventilation/heating/massage functions.
One of the major features of the station wagon is that it can be loaded, when it is fully loaded with passengers, the trunk volume is 605L, the second row is folded, the capacity is extended to 1714L, the length from the tailgate to the front seat reaches 1948mm, and the length of nearly 2 meters can put down large items, of course, you can also lay an air mattress bed, and you can easily lie down for outdoor camping.
The ID.7 GTX Tourer can optionally be equipped with a color-changing panoramic roof, which allows the transparent roof to change colour at any time through a polymer liquid crystal (PDLC) layer integrated into the glass, which is powered off by an electronic PDLC layer, in which the crystals align themselves and the glass turns black. Instead, once a voltage is applied to the layer, the crystals sort themselves, allowing light to pass through, becoming transparent. When exposed to the sun, switch to black mode, which reflects the energy-rich infrared rays in the sun, reduces the temperature in the car, and can be operated by touch screen or directly controlled by voice.
Why use AC asynchronous motors, which are rare today
The ID.7 GTX Tourer is equipped with dual motors as standard, forming a 4MOTION four-wheel drive system, Volkswagen has equipped this car with two completely different motors, the rear axle is an APP550 permanent magnet synchronous motor, which can output 286 horsepower, and the PSM permanent magnet synchronous motor is highly efficient and powerful, bringing rear-wheel drive characteristics to the vehicle and improving driving pleasure. The front motor is an uncommon ASM AC asynchronous motor, with an output of 109 horsepower and a comprehensive power of 340 horsepower, which is far from the dual-motor high-performance models of the new domestic car-making forces, and the acceleration is not at the same level, and the speed is electronically limited to 180km/h.
The reason why Volkswagen chooses ASM AC asynchronous motor is that in rear-drive mode, the system is not energized, almost no energy is consumed, and it is an ideal choice for auxiliary motors, the rotor of AC asynchronous motor is not a magnet but a closed coil, which has better reliability, can maintain a constant output at high speed, and has no problem of permanent magnet high temperature demagnetization, and at the same time has a lower cost.
As a high-performance electric vehicle, the AC asynchronous motor is placed at the front end, combined with a more power-efficient permanent magnet synchronous motor, balancing between endurance and movement, of course, if you want more horsepower, you need front and rear permanent magnet synchronous motors, which has the advantage of high power density, but obviously Volkswagen did not make the ID.7 GTX a high-performance model that breaks 100 in three seconds, and emphasizes the overall balance more than "the power of bricks flying", and the tires are matched with the power distribution that is biased towards the rear drive, the front is narrow and the rear is wide, and the front size is 235/45 R20 with rear dimensions 255/40 R20.
Car selection detective's point of view: A station wagon has more space than a sedan, but has a lower center of gravity than an SUV, which can maintain good handling, and the GTX high-performance version brings more driving pleasure through dual motors and sports anti-roll bars, which is also the reason for the existence of station wagons. The disadvantage is that the battery life is not long, and the convenience of outdoor charging is a problem, can this station wagon really travel long distances? What do you think of electric station wagons?