The Volkswagen ID Roomzz concept is an electric lounge on wheels

It will spawn a production model in 2021.

The unofficial theme of the 2019 Shanghai auto show is, unsurprisingly, electric mobility. Volkswagen surfed that wave by releasing a concept car named ID Roomzz that previews an upcoming production model developed with China in mind.

The design language seen on previous ID-badged concepts heavily influenced the Roomzz. It wears full-width LED lights and backlit emblems on both ends, and its sheet metal is sculpted to create an illusion of fluidity. Volkswagen explained the concept's rear lights are customizable via a smartphone app, and it announced plans to bring that feature to production sooner or later.

Power-operated doors open to reveal a lounge-like interior. In its standard configuration, the ID Roomzz has four forward-facing seats. The driver can touch the center of the steering wheel for at least five seconds to activate level four autonomous technology. When the concept is driving itself, the driver's seat can rotate by 25 degrees to let the occupant face the other passengers. Alternatively, the four seats can recline to let the passengers catch up on sleep.

The sheet metal hides a twin-motor electric powertrain that generates 306 horsepower. All-wheel drive helps the Atlas-sized Roomzz reach 60 mph from a stop in a brisk 6.6 seconds. Its 82-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack stores enough electricity for up to 280 miles of driving range, while quick-charging technology delivers an 80-percent charge in about half an hour.

Like most other ID-badged concepts, the ID Roomzz is already on its way to production. Volkswagen announced it will begin building the model for the Chinese market in 2021, and it noted the series-produced model will offer seating for up to seven passengers. Whether it will be available outside of China hasn't been revealed.