Volkswagen is laying out a bold plan to bring electric vehicles to the masses with dozens of new models and unprecedented driving ranges, challenging other carmakers to keep pace a year after the emissions scandal rocked the German automaker.

The process will get a boost at the Paris car show today, when the company will unveil the I.D. concept car, a battery-powered hatchback that boasts a range almost twice as far as Tesla Motors Inc.’s Model 3 sedan. Rather than an offshoot of an existing model in VW’s portfolio, the prototype is the company’s first electric vehicle built around a unique platform, a major commitment in financial and engineering resources.

“The future is electric,” Chief Executive Officer Matthias Mueller said at an event in Paris. “We are creating a new Volkswagen that is tackling the fields of future importance with determination.”

The stakes are high for the company, with the scandal bleeding billions in fines and tarnishing the company’s image. To emphasize the importance of the new direction, VW is likening the hatchback to groundbreaking models such as the iconic Beetle, which put it on the map around the world.