Volkswagen has announced that it will begin building a fully electric SUV in China in 2021, reports CNBC. The German automaker showed off the SUV, called the ID ROOMZZ, in Shanghai on Sunday. The ID ROOMZZ will have three rows of seats as well as an operating range of 450 kilometers on a single charge. It will also be capable of “level 4 autonomous driving,” according to a Volkswagen spokesperson.
The ID ROOMZZ will compete directly with Tesla’s popular Model X in the country. China is increasingly giving electric vehicle makers in the country preferential treatment, as it wants to move its citizens away from gas-powered vehicles. Currently, Volkswagen makes fewer than 50,000 fully electric vehicles a year, but the company says that number will skyrocket to 22 million over the next decade.
In addition to level 4 autonomous driving, the ID ROOMZZ will also allow seats to be rotated 25º to create a lounge-like atmosphere when the car takes control of the road. Your move, Tesla.
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