Volkswagen is heavily promoting the ID.4 to the American market. And they have paid specific attention to American concerns about its possible range limitations. To debunk all myths and prejudices, Volkswagen USA sent a brand new VW ID.4 on a trans-American drive from New York to the opposite coast in Sacramento, California.
How Did VW ID.4 Make The Cross-Country Drive?
The electric car crossed America in 18 days, covering 6,700 miles in total. The drive started in mid-March and ended on March 30th. The map above shows that while they could have made a straight shot to between the two cities, (well almost, with that wide gap between Utah and Sacramento) they chose not to, heading to Chicago first before dropping down, touring the southern states, and driving up the west coast.
“We proved exactly what we set out to do with this drive, which was to show that with a little planning, covering long distances in an EV can be easy,” said Dustin Krause, Director of E-Mobility, Volkswagen of America. According to him, the ID.4 worked flawlessly for the entire trip and they hope this trip confirms the readiness of their EVs and their charging network to go to the masses.
The trans-American journey was made by the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro, equipped with a single electric motor producing 201 hp. It is powered by an 82 kWh battery, and according to EPA estimates, it is sufficient for a range of up to 250 miles on a single charge.
Along the way, Volkswagen ID.4 made 32 recharges in the Electrify America network. Also, sometimes it was charged in the parking lots of some hotels. The drive from New York to California in a regular gasoline vehicle typically takes 5 days, with an average of driving 8 hours a day. But if you take into its very non-direct route, which was not made out of necessity, the two-week's trip appears reasonable.
What Is Electrify America DC Charging Network?
Electrify America is the largest DC fast charging network in America. The network is developing to meet demand, and by December 2021 it is planned to install 800 more stations, as well as 3,500 DC fast chargers.
Volkswagen made ID.4 buyers in the US a lucrative offer - they offered three years of free charging on Electrify America, with the ability to charge the battery from 5% to 80% in less than 40 minutes. Also, this year will be include the launch of the all-wheel-drive version ID.4 with a total capacity of 302 hp and a price of $43,695.