The average American car owner drives less than 30 miles per day. But many of us like to retain the option of a much-longer road trip — something that seems to present logistical challenges for electric vehicles (EVs). A lack of charging infrastructure, limited range, and long recharging times mean it would be quite difficult to, say, cross the entire country in an EV, right?
Not at all. That’s what Volkswagen has set out to prove.
A small team of VW drivers has launched a journey across the United States in the automaker’s 2021 ID.4 EV, driving from New York City to Sacramento, California.
What range anxiety?
“Range anxiety is a thing of the past,” said VW of America Director of e-Mobility Dustin Krause. “This drive is proving that not only is long-distance driving” in an electric car “an easy task, but it’s also affordable.”
It’s particularly affordable for the first three years if you buy an ID.4. The car comes with three years of unlimited free charging at Electrify America’s network of more than 2,400 DC fast-charging stations. The ID.4, a midsize crossover with an EPA-estimated range of 250 miles, reaches dealerships next month. Prices start at $39,995, though the vehicle currently qualifies for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500.
The non-luxury electric crossover segment is quickly getting crowded, with competition such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia Niro EV, and Ford Mustang Mach-E all offering their own takes on the concept.
Volkswagen’s entry sets itself apart with a unique — and subtle — communication system. It uses a light bar at the base of the windshield to communicate everything from turn-by-turn directions to the battery’s state of charge with simple color changes in the driver’s peripheral vision.
For their road trip, VW’s drivers will stick to a largely southern route across the country. We won’t be truly impressed until they do the I-70 version of the trip. Nothing would test the vehicle’s “intelligent regenerative braking” system like coming down the western side of the Rockies. They plan stops in Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Cleveland; Chicago; Nashville; Atlanta; Orlando; New Orleans; Dallas; Austin; El Paso; Tucson; San Diego; and L.A.
The route is planned to make maximum use of Electrify America’s network of charging stations. As much as it tells us about the ID.4, it should also show that it’s possible to cross the U.S. in a non-Tesla EV (and one that doesn’t use Tesla’s Supercharger network) without running out of charging opportunities.
