The German Automobile Club published the report of Volkswagen ID.3 long testthe first electric car from the Manufacturer designed on an electric platform which made it possible to accommodate a 77kWh battery. As the ADAC indicates, it is also the electric car to which various software and hardware quality defects have been attributed. ADAC technicians used the Volkswagen ID.3 in the field, in a test that lasted 18 months and 60,000 km. Here’s how it went.

THE VOLKSWAGEN ID.3 AT THE ADAC TEST

Before moving on to advantages and disadvantages according to the ADAC, which answer the question “what to expect when buying the Volkswagen ID.3?“, We make the presentations. The electric car has undergone extensive testing by the ADAC since joining the fleet of cars used at the ADAC Technical Center in Landsberg. There Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S 4 places in the “Tower” version cost €48,550 and his in service since May 7, 2021. Since then, the Volkswagen ID.3 has covered 60,000 km and the ADAC technicians have made an initial assessment of:

• actual measured range and battery charging;
• defects, technical problems and maintenance.

AUTONOMY AND CHARGE OF THE VOLKSWAGEN ID.3 IN THE ADAC TEST

“If you pay attention to speed and acceleration, you can catch up a range of about 400 km with the Volkswagen ID.3 on the highway», comments the ADAC. But the range can drop to 300-320 km at subzero temperatures. “Even with outside temperatures of -9°C, it was possible to travel 400 km from the foot of the Alps to the Rettenbach glacier near Sölden (Tyrol) to an altitude of almost 2700 meters and back with a single load of battery”. There recharge on an HPC column (High Power Charging) recovers 250 km in 20-30 minutes. In winter, however, more time must be allowed for recharging stops. During the test, the state of health (SOH) of the high-voltage battery was also monitored at around 21,000, 46,000 and 59,000 km. A remaining battery capacity of 96% was found in all three measurements. “This is a very satisfying result and supports the argument that a battery loses more capacity early in its life, but then ages more slowly”says the ADAC.

VOLKSWAGEN ID.3 FAULTS: SOFTWARE AND CONNECTIVITY TO IMPROVE

ADAC engineers give low marks to the characteristics of connectivity and software of the ID.3 to be improved. Especially:

• there adjustment temperature and volume under the central display. “The desired setting cannot be fine-tuned and the sliders are hard to find at night because they are not illuminated”.
• buttons steering wheel touch. “The buttons are nice to look at, but insensitive and cannot be pressed blindly”.
• system of slow infotainment. “System startup takes a long time. There is always a “second to wait” until finger inputs via the touchscreen are processed by the system”.
• Apple car game. “It’s annoying because UIs often end up in the foreground, even if you don’t want to use functions”.
• ID.3 app. “Does not store any accessible driving data”.

VOLKSWAGEN ID.3 MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR AT 60 THOUSAND KM

The Volkswagen ID.3 has its car serviced every two years, regardless of mileage, so the ADAC car used in the test only came back to the workshop for a few repairs.

• For 23,495 km for the replacement of broken windshield presumably caused by a stone chip;
• For 55,000 km for the replacement of a defective wheel shaft: “You could hear a ‘click’ when maneuvering. The driveshaft was repaired under warranty by a VW dealer”.