What first name would you like to appear in the review?
Tim
What is the make and model of your EV?
Volkswagen ID.4
What year was your EV registered?
2021
How long have you owned your EV?
From new
What is the mileage on your EV?
5,000 – 10,000 miles
How many EVs have you owned?
This is my first
What is the average mileage range you achieve from your EV when fully charged?
270
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Why did you choose this car?
Size of the interior, size of boot and like the Volkswagen brand.
Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this car?
- I love how it drives
- I love knowing that when I am not using energy, I am sometimes recuperating it
- I love the interior space.
Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this car?
- I don’t like that it doesn’t have an electric boot opening
- I don’t like how the entertainment system isn’t quite up to scratch (but it is, at least, upgradable)
- I don’t like how the stereo sounds when you turn it up.
Surprise us! Tell us something surprising about this car?
The rear passengers can have their overhead lights on so they can see to read and it does not interfere with the driver’s view through the rear window, the lights are slightly recessed so they are not visible. I don’t know if this is by design but if it is, it is genius!
What car are you interested in next and why?
I actually intend to keep this one for as long as possible but whatever the next one will be, it will be electric (or whatever replaces them when we realise batteries are too hard to recycle). Not diesel or petrol again and never a hybrid.
What home charging unit do you use? Would you recommend it to others and why?
I use a Project EV (EVA07S-SE) home charger. It is simple, basic and cheap and the app works as well as can be expected (after some updates). Their support has been good when I needed them but it is hard to recommend fully. I found out that the wireless network adapter isn’t very strong, so it needs to be near the router or an extender for best results.
What home electricity supplier & tariff do you use? Would you recommend it to others and why?
I use Octopus Go and I would definitely recommend it. I’ve been with Octopus for some time now and I’ve never had any issues and the four hours @ 5p/kWh is really good for charging our cars (we have 2 electric cars) overnight.
What public charging networks do you use? Would you recommend them to others and why?
I’ve used a couple now and when they work, I would recommend them all; unfortunately, they don’t all work all the time. IONITY seems to be the best (and ID.4 owners get a discount for free for 1 year through the We Connect App) but they are expensive. Electric Highway are, unfortunately, the worst of the lot as they are old and mostly broken. Along with Gridserve, they are slowly being replaced, and these ones are also OK and surprisingly cheap to use.
Who do you insure your EV with? Would you recommend them to others and why?
I use LV for my insurance and they provide a free, included service whereby they will help you out if you run out of battery and need a boost. It is not a full breakdown service but it is a very nice touch, so I am very happy with them.
See other owner reviews here
