Volkswagen’s ID.3 is certainly not the best option for range in electric cars. This did not prevent Volkswagen from obtaining a strange record in an attempt to make it forget by making the vehicle roll 20,000 km on German roads.
Credit: Volkswagen
Tesla is doing so well right now that it influences (and scares) most automakers. We must realize that Tesla’s market capitalization to date is more than twice the capitalization of the 2nd largest automaker in the world, Toyota ($ 190.31 billion). But also more than 5 times that of Volkswagen ($ 94.20 billion) and more than 10 times the market capitalization of Honda ($ 48.78 billion).
It is as if the behemoths of yesterday were in the process of transforming – in all proportion to Tesla – into small mosquitoes. Which is not to say that the architects of the automotive industry of yesterday did not redouble their ideas to stay in the race. First, there is a general movement to offer electric and hybrid engines from almost all manufacturers. Even if we do not necessarily yet have the same level of performance as Tesla.
Also read: Elon Musk claims Tesla could merge with automaker
Volkswagen’s ID.3 got a bit of a weird driving record
We are indeed still far from the range offered by its best vehicles such as the Tesla Model S Plaid and its 840 km of range in a single charge. Not to mention the Supercharge fast-charging technology, and the various driving assistance innovations, which can now take the form of “Fully Autonomous Driving” where it is legal.
Third-party manufacturers such as Volkswagen rely on their expertise and cost control to offer very attractive value for money in the electric segment. This is the case with the Volkswagen ID.3. Available from € 37,990 (ID.3 Life) excluding ecological bonus and other allowances and premiums, the cheapest model offers 330 km of range via a 45 kWh battery.
It recharges either with a 7.2 kW wall adapter or a combo connector of up to 50 kW (with the optional 100 kW). The most expensive model (€ 48,990) ID.3 Pro S has a 77 kWh battery for a range of up to 549 km. In other words, to have an autonomy even comparable to Tesla and a thermal car you must necessarily opt for the most expensive model.
Gold, the purpose of Volkswagen’s latest marketing campaign seems to instill a little confusion over autonomy. The manufacturer paid two drivers to slip away in an ID.3 on German roads for two months. About what “Testing the long-distance capabilities of the drivetrain”. In fact, it was much less exciting in reality. They simply drove the vehicle for 20,000 km, loading the vehicle as soon as necessary (approximately 650 times).
What allowed the electric car to obtain a “Record” that doesn’t seem so incredible : “The longest continuous distance traveled by an electric vehicle on the road in a single country”. The car in question was an ID.3 Pro S with the longest range. And it still taught us a couple of things about the difference between Volkswagen’s promises and reality.
On paper, this model consumes 15 kWH per 100 km, and has a maximum range of 549 km. In fact, we are rather on 19 kWh per 100 km and a maximum range of 420 km. The ID.3 Pro S will be launched to the general public in early 2021.
Source: Autorevolution
