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Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

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Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#381

Post by magicalhippo »

2trill2spill wrote: post #373
magicalhippo wrote: post #365

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ended up being about 4 hours longer than it would be in a gas car We did some relatively long trips in our BMW i3 last couple of summers. Even though the charging added about 1-1.5hrs to each trip, my SO, which did all the driving, said she preferred it that way. She felt significantly less exhausted when she arrived, thanks to the charging stops. So not clear cut for all drivers it seems.

You know you can stop in a gasoline powered car and take breaks if you want or feel tired. But I cant imagine being forced to take an extra 1-1.5 hours whether I want to or not.

Of course. But she doesn't feel tired while driving. It hits her later, after we've arrived and unpacked.

Again the i3 isn't a great car for long distance driving due to small battery, and a big part of the extra 1.5 hrs was due to waiting in line for charging (summer vacation, yay). Both of those issues have gotten better and will continue to improve.

Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#382

Post by hnburnsy »

jeffbee wrote: post #219
bognition wrote: post #177

Here is a great no frills review of the ID.4 https://youtu.be/3oC9sUiwyL8 The TL;DR is even if its electric its not a serious competitor to tesla. The UI is terrible as the drive is unable to find a charger while navigating to their destination. Electric car charging stations are going to look completely different the gas stations as they costs a few thousand dollars to install rather than a cool million for a gas st…

id.4 comes with Android Auto and CarPlay compatibility. You'd be a fool to rely on the OEM tech. Tesla loses big in this regard because they don't offer either and their built-in tech is garbage.

I park my phone on a magnetic mount right next to the screen in my Model 3, so I get all the Waze notifications and music from Spotify over Bluetooth. Best of both worlds.

Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#383

Post by rsynnott »

hnburnsy wrote: post #377
rsynnott wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Is it because of the battery? That's the big contributor, yep. > Also, isn't EMF radiation an issue for you? For who? I mean, if you happen to be an AM radio it may be an issue, but I can't see why it would be a problem for humans.

Good point on the AM radio, my Model 3 does not have AM, but wondering do any BEVs have AM radio?

I think a few do, but it doesn’t necessarily work very well.

Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#384

Post by greedo »

IdiocyInAction wrote: post #286
akomtu wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Half of the US population lives paycheck to paycheck and they need cars. I'm not sure their minimum wage can afford them carbon taxes.

The US is far richer than Europe, with an average GDP per capita of over 10000$ higher than most western European countries. Alabama is about as rich as Germany, for instance. So if Europe can do it, then the US could easily do it.

It would be more accurate to say that Alabama residents are about as rich as Germans per capita. Germany's overall GDP is roughly 16x as large as Alabama.

Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#385

Post by kleiba »

Someone1234 wrote: post #62

I feel like the prices on electric vehicles are starting to become their biggest hurdle (instead of range, availability, or charging which are solved enough). If you're from California or New York, I'm sure $40K starting for this or a Model Y seems complexly within your means, but there's a large chunk of the US (by population AND land) where People love to spam $40K US "average" while entirely ignoring that the aver…

range, availability, or charging which are solved enough

But are they really? Especially for charging, I'm still not convinced.

The articles makes a case that you can go and grab a coffee while your ID.4 charges in 30 minutes at a high-speed charging stations. Sorry, but "30 minutes" and "high-speed" in one sentence seems somewhat misplaced. Who can afford to just waste 30 minutes for charging on a regular basis?

I currently live in a suburb in central Europe. I just checked on https://chargemap.com/ for my area - I don't know how up-to-date their map is but there are only a few charging stations within 20 minutes from my house, none of which is a high-speed charging station.

And unlike houses in North America, almost none of the houses on my street has a drive way, i.e., me and most of my neighbors park on the road, sometimes a few houses down from mine - so, no chance for charging a car over night at home. Of course, before I moved to the burbs, I sometimes had to park a few streets away at night because apartment buildings here typically don't offer parking garages (they exist, but it's not common).

Unlike some people with strong opinions, I'm actually in favor of electric cars. However, the practicability is just not there for the way a lot of everyday life is currently organized in many parts of the world.

Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#386

Post by germinalphrase »

petre wrote: post #245
Hamuko wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can get snow tyres fitted on a bicycle (I had some as a youth) but bicycles are still quite horrible in the winter. I remember biking home from school during the winter when it was snowing heavily. The sidewalks were completely snowed in with heavy snow so the bike just really went where it wanted to go and very slowly. I eventually decided to move over to the road but I was soon tailgated by a bus. Since the bus…

Yes bikes are nice and fun until you have a familiy that aren't hippies. Also hippies prefer warmer climates and home schooling. I wonder why. We've got quite a few bikes. Never use them during winter. Winter means snow and sub zero temperatures. I'd rather nordic walk instead. Not in the city breathing fumes, of course. I would ride my bike most of the time once cars or vehicles that spew fumes and turn you into roa…

What kind of nonsense is this. I and many others commonly ride and commute by bicycle in the winter up here in Minneapolis.

Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#387

Post by argonaut »

Someone1234 wrote: post #62

I feel like the prices on electric vehicles are starting to become their biggest hurdle (instead of range, availability, or charging which are solved enough). If you're from California or New York, I'm sure $40K starting for this or a Model Y seems complexly within your means, but there's a large chunk of the US (by population AND land) where People love to spam $40K US "average" while entirely ignoring that the aver…

The ID4 is precisely the next step EVs need towards affordability. The base ID4 will cost $33,690 after federal tax credit (and after destination fee). A top trim 2021 Subaru Forester costs about $32-34k (MSRP is $36k, this is the price after dealer discounting according to KBB).

Still not quite as affordable considering we're talking about a top trim Subaru, but definitely getting close. And after state rebates / if someone factors in gas costs, the ID4 can come out ahead.

Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#388

Post by mtmail »

rconti wrote: post #243

I've been following the id.4 release with moderate interest. I previously had a 2016 Golf R 6 speed manual, and now have a 2018 Tesla Model 3. IMO, the VW is just too expensive. Now, if you're getting the tax credit on the VW, and of course can't get it on a Tesla anymore, that makes the difference. But without the credit, the id4 is virtually the price of an AWD Model Y. For a vehicle that doesn't have AWD, has a to…

I assumed the id 3 is a closer match to Golf and Tesla Model 3. It's 20% cheaper (in Europe) but not launched in the US.

Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#389

Post by extrapickles »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #314
intrasight wrote: post #252

My opinion is that the industry has gone in the wrong direction with batteries. Cars should use swappable rechargeable batteries swapped by robots at the charging station. Faster pit stops and simpler batteries (no need for water-cooled, etc) and cheaper cars. And elimination of concern of battery warranty.

Tesla attempted it and gave up. Given how much Musk loves ambition, there's probably a decent reason for it.

Part of the problem is accounting. Since the value of a battery pack is highly variable depending on its remaining life, the only way it would work is if you subscribed/leased the battery so it didn't matter what the delta in value of the packs are.

Without that, you have to return to the exact same swapping station and pickup your original battery.

Re: Volkswagen launches its first all-electric SUV, the ID.4

#390

Post by mceachen »

freeflight wrote: post #230
CuriousSkeptic wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not sure the larger batteries are even necessary. With an EV you can start each day fully charged. You just need enough battery to handle your daily commute and the few errands. What’s missing is something to handle those few occasions when you need to drive that extra distance. It seems kind of silly to try and cram that extra flexibility into the same vehicle.

> What’s missing is something to handle those few occasions when you need to drive that extra distance. It seems kind of silly to try and cram that extra flexibility into the same vehicle. I wouldn't be surprised if rental battery trailers become a big thing due to that. When using the EV for every-day stuff the internal batteries will be enough. Going on a long trip? Add a battery trailer for more range and extra ca…

Neat idea, but electric charging stations are pretty well established, at least along coastal and central California. If you look at plugshare you might be surprised how many quick charge (>50amp) stations are available along, say, I5 or US101.
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