The electric future is here and now for Volkswagen as its new ID.3 is already exceeding expectations after setting its first range record of 531 kilometres. The new all-electric model has gone on a single charge from the Zwickau plant in Germany, which is the production home of the ID.3 and soon also of the ID.4, to the city of Schaffhausen in Switzerland.
This is a surprising result as according to the WTLP test, the ID.3 has a maximum range of 420 kilometres, which means that the car covered a 26% greater distance. According to driving data, 44% of the record journey was on highways and 56% on country roads with an average speed of 56 km/h.
The car was driven by Felix Egolf, who is defined as a “Hypermiler”, which refers to the ability to drive a series production vehicle with techniques that maximise efficiency and minimise consumption.
The vehicle that achieved the record was a manganese grey ID.3 1st Pro Performance with a 58-kWh battery and 204 PS. According to the data, the average power consumption was a mere 10.9 kWh/100 km where instead the standardised consumption rating of the ID.3 is 15.4-14.5 kWh/100 km.
Even though this test had the ultimate goal of pushing the car to its limit to achieve the longest range possible, it still highlights the versatility of this vehicle and shows the true potentialities of the VW product.
The ID.3 is just the tip of the iceberg of the electric plans of the company as the German giant is fully committed to a future without internal combustion engines. Its Zwickau plant has been recently converted to e-mobility thanks to an investment of €1.2 billion.
This model also finally rolls out the highly awaited MEB dedicated electric platform that will be used by the ID.4 as well.
As we reported, the new ID.3 won’t be cheap as it is priced at £38,880 before any UK Government grant is applied. But it will also benefit from the Volkswagen brand high-voltage battery warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles.
The success of this long-range trip is a considerable testament to the true value of the car, according to Reinhard de Vries, Managing Director Technology and Logistics at Volkswagen Sachsen.
“With its high-volt battery, efficient drivetrain and fast charging capability, even long journeys are not a problem,” he said. “This is also a strong message for the team in Zwickau and for the entire ID. team.”