The Volkswagen ID.4 offers surprising space, some user-friendly high-tech features, and three years of free 30-minute charging sessions at Electrify America charging stations. But, like most EVs, it’s pricey for the segment it competes in.
The ID.4, VW’s first electric car in the U.S., is a 2-row midsize SUV with a sleek look and either a 201-horsepower rear-wheel-drive (RWD) setup or a 295-hp all-wheel-drive (AWD) architecture. Our test drivers like its user-customizable digital instrument display and the clever bar of multicolor lights at the base of the windshield that conveys information like turn-by-turn directions and charge level subtly in the driver’s peripheral vision.
The least-expensive ID.4 costs $41,230, plus $1,295 to deliver. A $7,500 federal EV tax credit helps bring that down for many buyers. But VW would still like to be able to sell it for less.
They’ll get there in the 2023 model year, the company says. VW announced that it will begin producing the car in Tennessee later this year, and offer a shorter-range model with a lower price.
That’s nearly all the company has said for now. We know the new edition will use a 62-kilowatt-hour battery pack, down from the 82 kWh version offered now. We don’t know what its range will be. The current battery is good for up to 275 miles in RWD form.
We’ll know more later in the year, including how much VW can cut the price and the model’s range will be.
