Volkswagen ID.3 2022 electric car owner review

Tom S drives a Volkswagen ID.3 Family Pro Performance 58kWh 2022.

This is Tom’s first electric car, he’s owned the Volkswagen ID.3 from new and drives 10,000-15,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 5,000-10,000 miles and he achieves 180 miles from a full charge.

Why did you choose the Volkswagen ID.3?

I wanted to contribute towards a reduction in global emissions whilst being part of something new and exciting.

Positives

Cheap to run
great to drive
love the pre conditioning.

Negatives

No lumbar support
no blind assist
would prefer an extra 50 miles range.

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

No faults, although the factory-fitted tyres wore down quicker than expected.

What are the standout technological features of your Volkswagen ID.3?

Smart adaptive cruise control, heated seats and steering wheel, pre conditioning & matrix LED headlights.

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

I love the rear light show when unlocking at night.

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

Either a Cupra Born V3 77kWh with longer range and better seats or a VW ID.5 Style 77kWh 204ps with more space and longer range.

Home charging unit

Wallbox Pulsar Plus (tethered) – home charging at night for four hours is very cheap at 7.5p per kW. Charger is easy to use and configure. Only negative is that the four hours off-peak charging gives a maximum of 50% charge to my battery.

(Prices may have changed since first publication)

Electricity supplier & tariff

I’m on Octopus Go – they’re very easy to work with and have a great off-peak night time tariff at 7.5p per kW. Sadly the daytime rate if I want to bump charge is a very expensive 40p per kW.

(Prices may have changed since first publication)

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

I like IONITY, Shell recharge Osprey and Tesla. IONITY is a great price with my VW We Charge card. Osprey and Shell can be used with We Charge too and are normally reliable. Tesla is always reliable and very easy to use but fairly expensive and only available at 15 locations in the UK. Tesla charging stalls are also geared up to plugging in on the rear nearside whereas my car flap is rear offside.

Insurer

I’m with LV and their senior management are very supportive of EV drivers. They include free assistance if you run out of charge at no risk to your NCB.