Premiere at the ID. Meet: apprentices from Volkswagen Sachsen present ID.5 GTX „Xcite“ show car

Robert Janssen, Chair of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Sachsen GmbH with responsibility for Technology and Logistics: “A real Saxon all-electric car: with the ID.5 GTX ‘Xcite‘, young people have shown what they can do with technical knowledge and a passion for cars. Like its predecessors, this show car is a symbol of the high-quality training and the high level of expertise at Volkswagen Sachsen.“

Jens Rothe, Chairman of the General Works Council at Volkswagen Sachsen: “The ID.5 ‘Xcite‘ is a real eyecatcher. The entire team deserves a word of praise. The project gives an impressive demonstration of the young specialists’ skills. At Volkswagen in Saxony, we currently have 573 apprentices and young people on dual courses of study. For us, high-quality training is not only necessary but also part of our social responsibility.”

Duncan Loibl, 19 years old, electronics technician for automation electronics: “For me, this project was really something quite special: working together as a team to achieve a goal, combining a number of different disciplines and working under real-life conditions such as budgeting, planning and implementation. As a result of Covid and temporary delivery bottlenecks, we had to overcome a number of obstacles as a team. We are all the more proud of our car and the knowledge we have gained. I am grateful for this experience and for the opportunity to take part in the ID.5 GTX ‘Xcite’ project.“

A masterly performance by apprentices: the annual show car from Volkswagen Sachsen

The “Xcite“ show car is based on the standard ID.5 GTX with an 82 kWh battery and a top speed of 180 km/h. Taking this car, the apprentices shaped their young vision. They contributed their skills in mechanics, body work and painting to the design and implementation of the project. The show car was based on precise planning and intensive liaison, with young people working under their own responsibility.

The external changes included comprehensive work on the body. The wheel houses were modified, the door sills were widened and the front and rear fenders were adapted. The car combines matt and gloss paintwork from the Lamborghini and Volkswagen paint ranges. The individually produced 22-inch forged aluminum wheel rims are powder-coated and create an impressive presence.

Both Alcantara and vegan leather were used in the interior, making a sustainability statement. The cockpit, steering wheel, door trims and roof liner were upgraded. The seats themselves are real eyecatchers. The saddlers developed a complete, continuous pattern from the ID honeycomb. This is embroidered on the central sections of the seats and the door trims. The project logo was embroidered on the front headrests. This consists of the ID logo combined with a figure 8, symbolizing the number of projects completed to date.

The car features a digital sound system designed by the project team using equipment from Gladen, Musway and Bang & Olufsen, with 10 amplifiers, a subwoofer and a total output of 2000 watts. There is also a highlight in the trunk: the Teamgee H5 electric skateboard is the perfect companion for the last few meters from the car park to the driver’s destination.

With the exception of the Covid year of 2020, apprentices from the three locations in Saxony have modified a car produced in Zwickau every year since 2014. The young women and men made the show car under their own responsibility from the conceptual design through to implementation with the support of five experienced project mentors. The 14 young apprentices working on this year’s project are in the second and third years of their training as construction mechanics, process technicians for coating technology, vehicle paint technicians, motor vehicle mechatronics technicians, electronics technicians for automation electronics, warehouse logistics operators and mechatronics technicians.

Since the Zwickau vehicle plant has solely produced all-electric models, the ID. Meet in Switzerland, which has been held since 2021 and is privately organized, has been the major showcase for the all-electric show cars. The first show car presented at the Meet was an ID.3 in 2021.

A variety of career prospects: training at Volkswagen Sachsen

Volkswagen Sachsen is the largest employer in the State of Saxony and trains between 130 and 160 young people each year. Apprenticeships in a total of 13 training locations are offered at the facilities in Zwickau, Dresden and Chemnitz. In addition, dual courses of studies are available in six faculties. Applications for 2023 are welcome up to October 31, 2022. Further information is available at www.volkswagen-sachsen.de