Richard drives a Volkswagen ID.3 58kWh 2020.
This is Richard’s first electric car, he’s owned the ID.3 3-4 years and drives 10,000-15,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 40,000-50,000 miles and he achieves 214 miles from a full charge.
Why did you choose the Volkswagen ID.3?
I had driven VW for a long time and put my name down as interested. It was the same size as the Golf that I owned before.
Positives
- Quiet and quick
- cheap to run
- pleasant to drive.
Negatives
- The touchscreen interface is very badly designed
- the absence of proper knobs and switches is annoying
- the interior is disappointing although this has been improved in later versions
- there is no way to initiate battery heating on cold days.
Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?
Yes. No different to when it was new.
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
It is an early first edition and the software at launch was very poor, but this has largely been rectified now with various updates.
What are the standout technological features of the car?
I would say it has the level of tech that would be expected on a modern car. I like the adaptive cruise control which works very well. The matrix headlights are superb too.
What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?
They catch fire.
What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
BYD Dolphin – It is a super compact car, better than the ID.3 and cheaper too.
Home charging unit
Rolec HomeSmart – When I bought it there weren’t many on the market but I definitely wouldn’t buy Rolec again.
Electricity supplier & tariff
Intelligent Octopus Go – It’s the best deal around, it works very well and integrates with my battery storage system.
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
I most often use the NewMotion chargers at ALDI because they are convenient at a place I go to regularly and are cheap.
Insurer
LV= were one of the first insurers to bring out insurance especially for EVs.
Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a Volkswagen ID.3
Electricity costs about £180 a year whereas diesel was costing £3,000-4,000 a year!
See other Volkswagen ID.3 Owner Reviews here
