Jimmymondeo’s first electric car was a Volkswagen ID.4 Life 77kWh.
Why did you buy a Volkswagen ID.4?
I was looking for a new car and wanted something taller instead of having to squeeze into my Volvo S60. I wanted something different from the norm and had tried many different vehicles before I test drove the ID.4. Wow, it made me smile, instant power, one gear, voice control, heated seats, etc, etc.
In comparison to many other vehicles the standard trim was attractive to begin with. Leather seats are cold in winter and sticky in summer so changing to the ID.4 interior was great. Skoda wanted more money to get away from bland. Very happy with my purchase and 99% of journeys will never exceed the range, although I am now planning a road trip to test this fully.
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What got you into an electric car in the first place?
I would have had another diesel but the instant power was really what did it for me. With current fuel prices I was just in time.
Initially, what did you find most confusing about electric car ownership and how did you solve that?
Not had anything confusing as such but there are experiences I have yet to have, like public charging. There is a mass of information available on the internet and groups on Facebook are handy for some bits apart from the delivery moaning. YouTube is full of reviews and some people have useful tips available. Not all of them may be new but every now and then you get a useful shortcut, like using two fingers on the heating control to turn on the heated seats quickly.
What sources of information helped you e.g. people, groups, websites etc?
YouTube, owners clubs and Facebook all have useful points. Ideally, try and find local posts and groups to avoid American or Chinese issues that may not be valid in Europe.
What are your top 3 pieces of advice for those people considering their first electric car?
Do some research as there’s loads more models available now and be subjective about reviewer’s criticisms. Having an extra button to press to open the rear windows is not my ‘end of world’ issue.
Don’t focus on range unless you drive huge distances daily. I ‘fill up’ once a week at home. Most people don’t need long range and larger batteries are heavier and cost more.
Get up to date with ‘real’ range. Temperature, weather, terrain, speed etc all affect the range of the car and this can be quite a surprise for new owners.
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