Volkswagen ID.3 2024 electric car owner review

Jim Jones drives a Volkswagen ID.3 Match 58kWh 2024.

This is Jim’s second electric car, he’s owned the Volkswagen ID.3 from new and drives 5,000-10,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 0-500 miles and he achieves 230 miles from a full charge.

Why did you choose the Volkswagen ID.3?

Had the previous model for 4 years. Really liked the drive, the space, the smoothness and the economy!

Positives

Spacious
speedy
quiet
clever
good -looking and doesn’t look like an conventional car.

Negatives

The car meets all our needs but road trips require a bit of planning and public charging which isn’t cheap.

Compared to when you first bought the car, does your battery still charge at the same rate & do you still get the same range?

The previous car did 3.8 miles per kWh long-term but depended on outside temperature, driving style and route. In the summer I got 4.5 miles per kWh and in winter 3.2 miles per kWh. Range was 210-240 but I never drove more than 150 without a break.

Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?

Noise generator failed and we had a module that controlled the front indicators and main beam headlights replaced. Both occurred after the 3 year warranty but covered by the extended warranty I had bought for £230. Dealer took awhile to get the parts but provided a loan car.

What are the standout technological features of the car?

Adaptive cruise control, lane assist, collision warning/braking, road sign and speed limit recognition, sat nav, traffic alert, DAB radio, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connection & matrix headlights that maximises the illuminated area without dazzling other drivers.

The new car has a better screen, a faster response and Spotify built-in. The voice recognition is much better in the new model and uses AI to improve accuracy. It recognises addresses, postcodes etc.
The VW app enables destinations to be sent to the car and you can also cool/defrost on command or via pre-set departure times.

Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this electric car

The improved voice recognition can arrange a host of functions without taking your eyes off the road. Far fewer distractions!

What’s the biggest or funniest myth you’ve heard about EVs?

The batteries produce a magnetic field that attracts nails and causes punctures.

What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?

Probably a smaller VW, maybe the ID.2.

Home charging unit

Andersen A2 – very neat, matches house colours and hides cable out of sight, it’s much more discreet than others. It can set charging for off-peak times & gives a record of charging. However, I use Octopus Intelligent which chooses the best time to charge and controls the car.

Electricity supplier & tariff

Octopus Intelligent – only uses renewable sources, works with my solar export and house battery. Together it saves me 000’s of £££.

What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?

InstaVolt, GRIDSERVE & Tesla Superchargers – all are reliable with plentiful of chargers on most of their sites. However, bp pulse have never worked when I’ve tried them.

Insurer

LV= have been good value but thankfully never needed to claim.

Please itemise where you’re saving money (or not) owning & running a Volkswagen ID.3

I’ve saved on running costs using Octopus Intelligent and my solar panels e.g. 250 miles for £4.50 compared to £50 for petrol
no VED but that ends next year
maintenance much cheaper.