Volkswagen has created an ID.4 Mobile Drone Response Vehicle for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
Set to debut at the SEMA Show on November 1st, the electric crossover has been outfitted with a heavy duty suspension and 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires. This will enable the electric crossover to haul relatively heavy loads and access remote areas.
Additional changes are limited, but the vehicle has been equipped with a Thule roof rack and a retractable side awning. The model also sports a portable power station as well as a custom storage unit that holds a drone and field equipment.
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The aptly named Mobile Drone Response Vehicle will be loaned to the TVA, which was famously created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The utility provides power to Tennessee as well as portions of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.
The TVA is planning to have a fully electric fleet of vehicles by 2030 and the ID.4 will be used in a year-long test to “analyze capabilities and various applications.” This is important as the utility will replace its fleet with approximately 400 light-duty and 800 medium-duty EVs, which will be supported by more than 300 charging stations at TVA facilities.
Volkswagen of America’s Senior Vice President of Product Marketing & Strategy, Hein Schafer, said the “TVA has a long history of innovation, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with them in their transition to a fully-electrified fleet. This effort is leading by example, and with the aid of our ID.4 vehicles, stands to show industry how viable EVs are in fleet applications.”
To celebrate the partnership, Volkswagen revealed a second ID.4 that has been equipped with TVA graphics, a Thule Canyon Roof Basket, and 18-inch wheels wrapped in “rugged treaded tires.” The company didn’t say much about this particular model, but noted it was created to “boost visibility of the test fleet program.”