It looks like for normal winter drives, EV's are not good. I like heat in the car for cold Chicago winters. This makes me think twice about purchasing one of these.
I'm in Norway, and all the ID series cars sold here have the heat pump. Combined with our excellent charging network, I'm not very worried about my first winter, having just bought an ID.4 GTX. Reducing cabin temp and using the heated seats to stay comfy is by far the most efficient way to go.
I've watched the majority of your electric reviews, especially for ID4. I just reserved the ID4 Pro, and since I have been looking at tons of videos on things, I should know before driving off. This video was highly informative, granting I live in Michigan, and the weather here is so bipolar. From your videos, I can gain a perspective.
Great test. Well done. I live in Northern WI so I’m a but anxious about the below zero temps and range. I have my home charger ready and we have a heated garage, but will be going to SC for the winters. So the 20 hour drive is my main concern.
Thank you, Carol! You're not going to have to worry about having a place to charge. But I think you will end up spending about 20%-30% more time on the road overall, due to the overhead charging times and you'll need to access some slower networks like EVgo, Chargepoint, or otherwise. Have you ever heard of abetterrouteplanner.com? I would highly recommend that you start there to see what the trip could look like (they do allow you to adjust for temperatures). In addition to this, I would go to plugshare.com and also download their app to find compatible public chargers along their routes.
Actually, yes I do! It only works at Tesla destination chargers, not Tesla Superchargers. This is the one I bought: www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=17&product_id=100 There are cheaper models there, though.
As a senior I am not given to being cold in my vehicle. I am seriously considering the ID4 but sure as heck wish Hydrogen was the option. Probably not in my lifetime. Thank you for a short and concise report.
Hi Rachel - I would just consider how much you actually drive and if it would really hinder you from being able to go where you want. If you are driving less than 30 miles per day, as an example, you should be completely fine with the ID4, even in the winter.
Awesome choice! That's what I would go with as well, if we had to buy it all over again. It is a solid road trip car, very comfortable. Congratulations again!
I have a PHEV Prius Prime. I love that I can use the electric around town and back and forth to work. If I need to go farther my car can go 500 miles. They should make all EV's with a heat pump. I loose range as well in winter.
I have a 54 mile drive from work to the EA charger. Every now and then I charge the ID4 before going home(3 miles away). I never get above 70kwh when it's below 50°F. It's really irritating. It doesn't matter if it's 20° or 45°, my charging speed sucks. I can't wait until it gets warmer. For range extension I just drive the speed limit, keep the heated seat on until it's warmed up, then turn it off(same with the steering wheel) and keep the fan speed on low. Range still blows, but better than high speed, high heat. Thanks for the video 👍🏻
@@evhelphub i can charge at home, but every once in awhile, I stop by to charge it and give the electric bill a break, since I can take advantage of the free EA charging
Got it. That makes sense. Let me ask, do you use the tip to first swipe to activate the EA charger on your app and then plug it in after a second or two? Or do you plug it in first? Just another thought.
@@evhelphub I swipe the app and then charge (backwards of the, "plug in first" the charger asks for. I actually do that on the advice of an EA support person after I had issues charging when I first got the car.
I am a happy owner of an ID.4 purchased in late December 2021. The vehicle rides well, is quiet and is very comfortable. I have a couple of quibbles with the controls and door handles, but otherwise a good value with which I am happy. I reside in Montreal and can absolutely confirm that the heater just clobbers the range of the vehicle. Today the outside temperature was -10C (+14F). We did 142km {88mi) and it took 61% of the battery, so the implied max range is 240km (144mi). That's a lot lower than the 350km (225mi) I expect to be getting in the warmer months.
@@evhelphub ours is a Pro S, which in Canada includes the heat pump. You may laugh, but it's hard to open the door handles with gloves/mitt on. They should also consider some kind of cover to keep snow and ice away from the charger.
Don't be nervous, George! Keep in mind how much you'll actually be driving on a daily basis. If it is less than 30 miles or so a day, you should be fine if you can plug in at home. If it is more than that, it may be worth investing in a level 2 home charger.
It was a range between 27 degrees Fahrenheit and around 31 degrees Fahrenheit. At one point the car's thermostat stated 32 degrees but the reported weather was a little bit lower according to my phone.
@@evhelphub We typically get -10F in winter here. I wonder if the cold is a linear effect. (70-30) = 40 --> -35% range. (70-(-10)) = 80. 80/40*0.35 = 70% range loss? probably not linear effect. Needs a third data point on a really cold day. Other control variables? Is the car coming to this range test from a house garage? so battery temp at start of the trip is a key factor probably. If you park on the street, wake up on a -10F day, and do a range test. what do you get? I suppose I can try this next winter. My AWD is arriving in a week or so. Can we simply list the "mi/kWh" for each test condition? run the car for 20 minutes at each condition. what were your numbers... i will need to rewatch the video and capture it. 2.1 on cold? 3.2 on warm?
I read that 2022 ID4 has received an OTA that includes a range boost. Any word on when the 2021 ID4s will receive the long-awaited OTA? The bugs In the current version are a pain. REPLY
The first update for North America was supposed to have been last fall. Then the rumors started it would be March. Recently the VW CEO stated a big update was coming in May or so.
Without the heat pump. It's also a first edition. You could probably get a little closer to 200+ miles of range with smaller wheels and a newer model year, even without the heat pump, depending on battery conditioning and other factors.
@@evhelphub wow thanks for the quick reply. I worried about the range with heater on, but I think it’s still manageable. I’m taking delivery within 2 weeks, and was wondering if this vehicle even blows hot air or not haha
Congrats on the new car! What configuration did you order? I thought the outcome of this test was better than expected and personally acceptable. The cabin stays pretty warm too so it is decently well insulated.
Problem with non teslas Dc fast charger most are slow 50 kw. Most Tesla chargers are 120-250 kw. Tesla navigation always calculating best stations and how many open stalls. It keeps you in that 20-80% range for the fastest in and out chargers. Around 250 miles at 20% I pull in, grab a cup of coffee in 15 Minutes and another 250 miles added. Almost like gas car. It automatically preconditions battery as approach recommended supercharger. No credit cards or app needed. Just plug in and Tesla recognizes the car. I drove recently in the snow where temps 12-32 degrees. It did not seem to matter
That’s stupid if I’m on a road trip with my kids they have to freeze in the back just to get better charging speeds NOT GOOD ENOUGH stop making these crapy cars without real battery preconditioning
@@evhelphub I have the AWD Pro S so of the sticker I have around 255 miles range but know that in the winter up a hill with about 3500-4000 ft in elevation gain it's going to be way less.
@@PAC56 That app is very buggy. VW really should fix and improve it. There's not reason why we should be able to do a lot more remote functions with it.
Great question, Marc! I don't personally own a L2 charging system at home right now. The ID4 was plugged in L1 all night before I left home to DC fast charge for this test and that did not seem to matter. I couldn't find an official answer via Google either. I wonder if you'd need to be charging before you left as well. Meaning, if the car had been sitting at ~80% all night, it wouldn't be adding charge at all. But if you plugged it in at say, 10% and it had been charging up to 80% actively, would that have made it faster? I'd say it is likely, but can't confirm. I'll try and look into it more!
EV range reduction in winter are affected by other factors such as rain, snow and terrain. Because EV range estimate is a squishy ball, it is, imho, more important to focus on trip planning on the distance between DC fast charging stations for long distance highway travel. My 2021 ID.4 consistently gets more than 300 miles in the summer (because my preference for highway speed is closer to 60 miles instead of 75 miles). Without rain or significant climbing range in mild winter temperature is still more than 250 miles due to my personal driving habit. This is not to disagree with the findings in this video, but to illustrate the numerous degrees of freedom that factor into real world EV range and available to driver choice. Whenever I set my cruising speed to 70 or above, I also find that I inevitably run into dynamic traffic flow speed will dip lower in my lane triggering adaptive cruise control to brake and accelerate quickly that is detrimental to EV range results.
Thanks for your feedback and providing your experience. I agree, lots of factors go into EV real world range. I'm hoping to just provide a starting point of what to expect.
*Both ID4 Range Test Results:* evhelphub.com/articles/vw-id4-range/
*EVs & Winter (Tips, FAQs):* evhelphub.com/guide/electric-cars-cold-weather-what-to-know/
*What is EVSE?* evhelphub.com/charging/what-is-evse/
It looks like for normal winter drives, EV's are not good. I like heat in the car for cold Chicago winters. This makes me think twice about purchasing one of these.
I'm in Norway, and all the ID series cars sold here have the heat pump. Combined with our excellent charging network, I'm not very worried about my first winter, having just bought an ID.4 GTX. Reducing cabin temp and using the heated seats to stay comfy is by far the most efficient way to go.
My RWD ID4 returns around 175mi in winter. So, I can confirm your test results are accurate.
I've watched the majority of your electric reviews, especially for ID4. I just reserved the ID4 Pro, and since I have been looking at tons of videos on things, I should know before driving off. This video was highly informative, granting I live in Michigan, and the weather here is so bipolar. From your videos, I can gain a perspective.
Thank you for the kind words and for watching! Congrats on the ID4 reservation. i think you'll love the car. It is a great value. :)
Great test. Well done. I live in Northern WI so I’m a but anxious about the below zero temps and range. I have my home charger ready and we have a heated garage, but will be going to SC for the winters. So the 20 hour drive is my main concern.
Thank you, Carol! You're not going to have to worry about having a place to charge. But I think you will end up spending about 20%-30% more time on the road overall, due to the overhead charging times and you'll need to access some slower networks like EVgo, Chargepoint, or otherwise. Have you ever heard of abetterrouteplanner.com? I would highly recommend that you start there to see what the trip could look like (they do allow you to adjust for temperatures). In addition to this, I would go to plugshare.com and also download their app to find compatible public chargers along their routes.
Do you have a converter to charge at Tesla stations? Not sure that’s even an option yet.
Actually, yes I do! It only works at Tesla destination chargers, not Tesla Superchargers. This is the one I bought: www.umc-j1772.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=17&product_id=100
There are cheaper models there, though.
As a senior I am not given to being cold in my vehicle. I am seriously considering the ID4 but sure as heck wish Hydrogen was the option. Probably not in my lifetime. Thank you for a short and concise report.
Hi Rachel - I would just consider how much you actually drive and if it would really hinder you from being able to go where you want. If you are driving less than 30 miles per day, as an example, you should be completely fine with the ID4, even in the winter.
I live in the best state for EV Florida lol got my ID.4 back in September and there’s no way back love this car.
Congrats, Pedro! What ID4 did you go with?
@@evhelphub Pro S RWD already did 2 roadtrips from South Florida to Charlotte car is spacious, quiet and those massage seats is amazing
Awesome choice! That's what I would go with as well, if we had to buy it all over again. It is a solid road trip car, very comfortable. Congratulations again!
@@evhelphub yes it is and with the free charging for 3 years it’s a no brainer
Agreed! We have used quite a bit of that free charging ourselves. :)
I have a PHEV Prius Prime. I love that I can use the electric around town and back and forth to work. If I need to go farther my car can go 500 miles. They should make all EV's with a heat pump. I loose range as well in winter.
I have a 54 mile drive from work to the EA charger. Every now and then I charge the ID4 before going home(3 miles away). I never get above 70kwh when it's below 50°F. It's really irritating. It doesn't matter if it's 20° or 45°, my charging speed sucks. I can't wait until it gets warmer.
For range extension I just drive the speed limit, keep the heated seat on until it's warmed up, then turn it off(same with the steering wheel) and keep the fan speed on low. Range still blows, but better than high speed, high heat.
Thanks for the video 👍🏻
This is sad as hell man. Not good.
Thank you for watching! Are you unable to charge at home?
@@evhelphub i can charge at home, but every once in awhile, I stop by to charge it and give the electric bill a break, since I can take advantage of the free EA charging
Got it. That makes sense. Let me ask, do you use the tip to first swipe to activate the EA charger on your app and then plug it in after a second or two? Or do you plug it in first? Just another thought.
@@evhelphub I swipe the app and then charge (backwards of the, "plug in first" the charger asks for. I actually do that on the advice of an EA support person after I had issues charging when I first got the car.
I am a happy owner of an ID.4 purchased in late December 2021. The vehicle rides well, is quiet and is very comfortable. I have a couple of quibbles with the controls and door handles, but otherwise a good value with which I am happy.
I reside in Montreal and can absolutely confirm that the heater just clobbers the range of the vehicle. Today the outside temperature was -10C (+14F). We did 142km {88mi) and it took 61% of the battery, so the implied max range is 240km (144mi). That's a lot lower than the 350km (225mi) I expect to be getting in the warmer months.
That sounds about right to me, Joseph. Congratulations on the new car, by the way! How did you configure it?
@@evhelphub ours is a Pro S, which in Canada includes the heat pump.
You may laugh, but it's hard to open the door handles with gloves/mitt on. They should also consider some kind of cover to keep snow and ice away from the charger.
Yes sounds about right. I will typically charge at home, and only to 80 percent. Still waiting on my ID4
When are you expecting it?
I put in my order also, way back late November!! 😒 but news like this is making me more Nervous.
Don't be nervous, George! Keep in mind how much you'll actually be driving on a daily basis. If it is less than 30 miles or so a day, you should be fine if you can plug in at home. If it is more than that, it may be worth investing in a level 2 home charger.
@@evhelphub June-September
Canadian ID4 have option for heatpump
I don't think you ever mentioned the actual temperature
It was a range between 27 degrees Fahrenheit and around 31 degrees Fahrenheit. At one point the car's thermostat stated 32 degrees but the reported weather was a little bit lower according to my phone.
@@evhelphub We typically get -10F in winter here. I wonder if the cold is a linear effect. (70-30) = 40 --> -35% range. (70-(-10)) = 80. 80/40*0.35 = 70% range loss? probably not linear effect. Needs a third data point on a really cold day. Other control variables?
Is the car coming to this range test from a house garage? so battery temp at start of the trip is a key factor probably. If you park on the street, wake up on a -10F day, and do a range test. what do you get? I suppose I can try this next winter. My AWD is arriving in a week or so.
Can we simply list the "mi/kWh" for each test condition? run the car for 20 minutes at each condition. what were your numbers... i will need to rewatch the video and capture it. 2.1 on cold? 3.2 on warm?
I read that 2022 ID4 has received an OTA that includes a range boost. Any word on when the 2021 ID4s will receive the long-awaited OTA? The bugs In the current version are a pain.
REPLY
The first update for North America was supposed to have been last fall. Then the rumors started it would be March. Recently the VW CEO stated a big update was coming in May or so.
Hi. A u aware abt the charging speed from 80 to 100? Id4s goes with heat pumps
Does the ID4 have a pre conditioning for the battery before you charge it
No, not for fast charging. At least, not in the same way that a Tesla would.
Is this with or without the heat pump? I get way more range with my ID 4 than this, about 200+ miles at highway speeds similar to these.
Without the heat pump. It's also a first edition. You could probably get a little closer to 200+ miles of range with smaller wheels and a newer model year, even without the heat pump, depending on battery conditioning and other factors.
Was this with resistive heater on during trip?
I drove the ID4 specifically for this video. The heater was on the entire time as it turns out, but I kept the fan speed pretty low.
@@evhelphub wow thanks for the quick reply. I worried about the range with heater on, but I think it’s still manageable. I’m taking delivery within 2 weeks, and was wondering if this vehicle even blows hot air or not haha
Congrats on the new car! What configuration did you order? I thought the outcome of this test was better than expected and personally acceptable. The cabin stays pretty warm too so it is decently well insulated.
@@evhelphub 2021 VW ProS AWD Gradient Package. So full decked out version
Nice! You'll love it!
Problem with non teslas Dc fast charger most are slow 50 kw. Most Tesla chargers are 120-250 kw. Tesla navigation always calculating best stations and how many open stalls. It keeps you in that 20-80% range for the fastest in and out chargers. Around 250 miles at 20% I pull in, grab a cup of coffee in 15 Minutes and another 250 miles added. Almost like gas car. It automatically preconditions battery as approach recommended supercharger. No credit cards or app needed. Just plug in and Tesla recognizes the car. I drove recently in the snow where temps 12-32 degrees. It did not seem to matter
That’s stupid if I’m on a road trip with my kids they have to freeze in the back just to get better charging speeds NOT GOOD ENOUGH stop making these crapy cars without real battery preconditioning
32F is a cold range test? 😂
Try a -32F in Alberta cold range test
I did the best I could, Sean! 🤣 That's why I don't live in Canada! 😀
I'm curious as to how my ID.4 will fare during our six months of summer that has months of 125 degrees...
Did extremely well in Texas last year!
2021-2022 Canadian id.4’s have standard heat pumps.
But not the 2023s.
Now going uphill in cold, like to a ski resort, I wonder how much more range is lost? Guess I'll find out! Just got my 2023 ID.4!
🤣, congratulations on the new car! How did you configure it?
@@evhelphub I have the AWD Pro S so of the sticker I have around 255 miles range but know that in the winter up a hill with about 3500-4000 ft in elevation gain it's going to be way less.
Nice! Yeah, hopefully you get some good regen on the way back down though. I'm going to guess you'll get around 120-140 usable miles or so. Enjoy!
It’s 20 below zero this morning. My brand new ID4 reports 107 miles when charged at 100%!😮. Suspect its because I have only 15 miles on the car!
Congrats on the new car, Philip! That's pretty dang cold! Make sure you keep her plugged in all night.
The VW app showed 107, he car reported 171…the car was right!
@@PAC56 That app is very buggy. VW really should fix and improve it. There's not reason why we should be able to do a lot more remote functions with it.
I agree, Ken!
Does the id4 preheat the battery on level 2 charging? I wonder if you’d get a better range is the car started plugged in (as if leaving from home)
Great question, Marc! I don't personally own a L2 charging system at home right now. The ID4 was plugged in L1 all night before I left home to DC fast charge for this test and that did not seem to matter. I couldn't find an official answer via Google either. I wonder if you'd need to be charging before you left as well. Meaning, if the car had been sitting at ~80% all night, it wouldn't be adding charge at all. But if you plugged it in at say, 10% and it had been charging up to 80% actively, would that have made it faster? I'd say it is likely, but can't confirm. I'll try and look into it more!
@@evhelphub thanks for the answer! We’re looking at getting and ev this year sometime, so your videos have been very helpful.
Thank you for watching and your support, Marc! :)
EV range reduction in winter are affected by other factors such as rain, snow and terrain. Because EV range estimate is a squishy ball, it is, imho, more important to focus on trip planning on the distance between DC fast charging stations for long distance highway travel. My 2021 ID.4 consistently gets more than 300 miles in the summer (because my preference for highway speed is closer to 60 miles instead of 75 miles). Without rain or significant climbing range in mild winter temperature is still more than 250 miles due to my personal driving habit. This is not to disagree with the findings in this video, but to illustrate the numerous degrees of freedom that factor into real world EV range and available to driver choice. Whenever I set my cruising speed to 70 or above, I also find that I inevitably run into dynamic traffic flow speed will dip lower in my lane triggering adaptive cruise control to brake and accelerate quickly that is detrimental to EV range results.
Thanks for your feedback and providing your experience. I agree, lots of factors go into EV real world range. I'm hoping to just provide a starting point of what to expect.