We’ve always been fuel/environment conscious with our vehicle purchases. Beginning with VW bugs in the 60’s, to a Prius in the 2000’s (two of them), it’s been a parade of economical, fuel efficient vehicles. Fast-forward to 2021, we bought a Volkswagen id.4; VW’s first serious entry to the everyday, go anywhere small SUV sized North American electric vehicle market. We’ve put nearly 7000 miles on it in the last 5 months. So far, so good.
First off, this car is a bit larger than we are used to, but not too big. It carries everything we need and 5 passengers comfortably. The fit and finish is good. It handles well, has plenty of get up and go (not Tesla quick, but we came from a Prius…). Passing is easy if necessary. This car cost $39,995 plus tax and license. We have never spent more than $24k on any previous car. However, living in California, we have rebate and/or tax credits that total $14k, making this much more affordable. We have also spent money adding a home charger (about $1000 with electrical work and a charger). The charger costs will be lessened with a 30% tax credit. Thanks! Volkswagen also gives you 3 years of free charging at electrifyamerica network, which is a great way to save money.
What is it like living with an electric VW? Well, first off, there was a bit of a learning curve with doing most things through an infotainment screen. Leaving the knobs, dials and sliders of previous vehicles took a little bit of drive time (and manual reading.. yeah we read ’em). Speaking of manuals; this one has tons of info but isn’t much help. Go online if you want to find an answer that is quicker and better. There are already many youtube videos about the car (I like EV Tips And Tricks and id.Furkan), and an informative forum at https://www.vwidtalk.com/ . There are useful apps for finding charging stations (I use the electrifyamerica app, and also plugshare app). Since the id.4 integrates well with Apple an Android phones, you can also just ask Google or Siri to help you find the nearest station. Here in California, Caltrans has free charging stations at many rest stops.
Here’s what we have found so far about charging stations: Mostly, we have had good luck. Only rarely have we had to wait while someone else was charging, as most places have multiple chargers. We have had to call for assistance on several occasions when the charger would not initiate charging. Most of these issues got resolved. The electrifyamerica customer service has been very good, although there is sometimes a wait…. Charging stations are found in bank parking lots, and in the parking lots of malls or Walmarts. We either use the 20-30 minutes to grab something to eat, use a restroom, or just sit and read.
What about range anxiety? It’s a real thing. Our most frequent out of town trip is a 137 mile one-way run. We have chargers available at both ends of this trip, so it is not a problem, and you just need to make sure to charge before you go. Other trips (185 miles to visit our daughter, or 325 miles to visit our eldest son) take more planning. We have added an hour to each of those already long trips (driving through LA is never a picnic). With some planning and checking to find available chargers, we have not had any problems; it just takes longer than jumping in a Prius and driving up to 400 miles without thinking about it).
Here’s the real math on the range of a VW id.4. The claim is a 250 mile range. This is true. However, 250 miles is the range on a 100% charge. The manufacturer recommends charging only to 80% on a regular basis, and the car is preset to this. We normally charge to 80%, which gives us about a 200 mile range. However, the car will alert you when you have only 40-50 miles left, so you really don’t want to go the full 200. Realistically, we plan 160 miles on an 80% charge, and then a re-charge. On longer trips, we have charged to 90% or 100%, but the same thing applies: You need to arrange a re-charge before that distance. When lots of EVs can go 400 miles, things will be better. For now, you need to plan and have a little patience.
What do I like best about the id.4? Driving by gas stations. Also, I like the way it looks, and the color is great (ours is Moonstone Gray). What do I dislike the most? The lane assist. I want to be able to turn it off and have it stay off, but VW makes me go to the menu, click on the lane graphic, and turn it off each time I start the car. I find that the lane assist doesn’t always read the road lines correctly, or it tries to move me over if, for instance, I drive the edge of my lane to give room to large vehicles coming the other way, or if I move over to accommodate a bicyclist. If you are a lane assist lover, fine (and yes, I always use my signals to change lanes or turn). I can engage the lane assist on the steering wheel, just like adaptive cruise control, but I can’t disengage it without going to the screen menus. VW, please fix this….
Great review, Steve! Fun to read.