ID.3: Welcome to Volkswagen’s 3rd era
‘Staggeringly ambitious’ is how Top Gear described Volkswagen’s electric vision as they crowned the ID.3 their Game Changer of the Year.
The very first ID.3 in the UK rolled off the ferry at Grimsby, Lincolnshire, on Sunday 31 August. As the wheels touched the concrete of the jetty, it was an historic moment – a moment when electric vehicles in the UK moved from niche to mainstream.
That’s because Volkswagen plans to play a pivotal role in converting the drivers of the world to electric. The people’s car aims to bring electric mobility to the people.
To achieve this ‘staggeringly ambitious’ vision, Volkswagen has gone big, developing an entirely unique, ground up electric platform, called the MEB (modular electric drive matrix), for its new fleet of EVs, while also fitting out 16 factories to produce EVs and components by 2022, and increasing its investment in electric and digital technologies to a colossal 73 billion euros.
The ID.3 is the first model to emerge from this vision, leading to it being hailed as the ‘third generation’ of Volkswagen, after the iconic Beetle and Golf models.
So what makes the ID.3 such a game changer?
The first thing is the cost of the ID.3, which is available at the same price as a similarly spec’d Golf and that’s before factoring in government grants and exemptions from other expenses like the London congestion charge.
The second is the range of the ID.3. ‘Range anxiety’ has long been a major concern for drivers looking to switch to electric. So much so that in Norway, where EV adoption is very high, there is actually a word for it – rekkeviddeangst. The ID.3 is available with a range of up to 366 miles (WLTP) on a single charge. And rapid chargers can refill your ID.3’s battery up to 80% in as little as 45 minutes, or the time it takes to stretch your legs and buy a coffee.
The third is the performance of the ID.3. Alongside the pacey acceleration and instant torque, the ID.3 is available with an impressively powerful 201PS engine. Add to this the ID.3’s rear wheel drive, tight turning circle, low weight and finely tuned suspension and you have a car that can really hold its own.
Oh yes, and it’s incredibly fun to drive.
The fourth is the spaciousness of the ID.3. Climb inside and the sense of space is immediately obvious. There is no internal combustion engine and no transmission tunnel taking up significant room, while thanks to the MEB, the batteries are stored out of the way in the floor of the vehicle. The ID.3 boasts generous legroom and storage space that defies its compact size.
The fifth is the technology of the ID.3. From the touchscreen infotainment system, to the voice control, to the smart ID. Light concept that enhances communication between car and driver, to the extraordinary range of driver assistance features, this is the most digital Volkswagen ever to take the road.
Future ID.3 models will even have an augmented reality ‘head up’ display option that projects onto the windscreen in front of you, so you never need to take your eyes off the road.
The sixth is the way the ID.3 is built, because it is built carbon neutral. Years of painstaking research and development have resulted in a production line that is just as environmentally friendly as the cars rolling off it.
The switch to an electric drivetrain is the biggest change to mobility in a century. Such a mammoth task requires a vision that is equal to it. Volkswagen believe they have that vision, and the ID.3 is the very first stretch of road on the journey to realising it.
