The all-electric VW ID.4 sports a sleek design. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe
The VW ID.4 has finally found its way to South Africa, but the first customers is not expected to take delivery of the all-electric SUV until 2026.
Volkswagen South Africa’s directive for the first local fleet of ID.4s, which is the EV equivalent of the mid-sized Tiguan SUV, is to test the local market readiness. For the remainder of this year, test vehicles will be sampled by the media along with fleet and private customers.
Next year will see yet-to-be-determined bespoke leasing offers rolled out at dealerships, followed by traditional retail offers in 2026.
The ID.4 fleet is the fourth instalment of VW’s pre-market EV programme. It started with a shipment of e-Golf test units in 2021 which were followed by a batch of the ID.3 hatchback in 2022. Last year saw the introduction of the ID.Buzz van into logistics company DHL’s local fleet.
Despite its sales in Europe showing a sharp decline in the first quarter of 2024, the ID.4 has been VW’s biggest EV success story. It was crowned as the World Car of the Year in 2021 and is the brand’s best-selling EV globally.
The VW ID.4 is powered by a rear axle electric motor hooked up to a 77kWh lithium-ion battery pack made up of nine battery modules spread over 10 compartments in the floor. It can be charged up to rate of 11kW at AC chargers, 50kW at DC fast chargers and 150kW at DC super fast chargers.
The system sends 150kW of power and 310Nm of torque to the rear wheels. By comparison, the 2.0 TDI Tiguan produces 130kW/380Nm and the 2.0 TSI 162kW/350Nm.
“We need to look at the reasons why EVs haven’t taken off in South Africa,” Niels Wiechmann, brand head of Volkswagen passenger cars, said during the ID.4’s introduction in Sandton this week.
“The three biggest reasons are the lack of good incentives, the charging infrastructure and the instability of the power grid.
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“There has been improvement around all these things. The government’s release of the White Paper Report at the end of 2023 is a step in the right direction, while an improvement in power supply is also encouraging. The rising petrol price and more people relying on solar power is also contributing to the bright outlook.”
Last year only 902 EVs were sold locally, but VW predicts that this number will increase to over 10 000 by 2023.
The first learnings from customers who tested the e-Golf models where generally positive and the majority will consider owning an EV. They were impressed with the instant torque on offer, the silence of the drive and the ease of use.
But range anxiety and the public charging infrastructure were big concerns.
By the time buyers will finally get their hands on the VW ID.4, these things will probably not be an issue any more. The ratio of EVs to public charging stations have come down from 8:1 in 2021 to 4:1 in 2023 already, while the ID.4 has an estimated range of 500km.
The Citizen Motoring can gladly attest that this range is no PR stunt. On a little ride and drive from Sandton out to the Cradle of Humankind this week, we averaged between 16 and 17kWh per 100km. which gets you close to this number. More recuperative braking in city traffic will make the number even lower.
The drive itself was an absolute pleasure. It does not matter how many EVs you’ve driven, the instant torque available when pulling away never gets old.
Handling the VW ID.4 is ridiculously easy, and once you select the B gear the recuperative braking is so strong that you can get by with one-pedal driving.
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The cabin is very spacious and features 10-inch infotainment system with AppConnect connectivity and 5.3-inch digital instrument cluster. 30-colour ambient lightning and a wireless charging tray are also standard.
The sleek-looking exterior is a result of the design setting out to keep drag low to maximise efficiency. It features LED daytime running lights, 19-inch Mahar alloy wheels and roof rails.
Standard safety systems on the VW ID.4 include adaptive cruise control, park assist, front assist, lane assist and pedestrian monitoring.
VW will also be busy over the next few years with expanding its EV dealer network. There are currently five dealers countrywide that offers EV charging and service facilities, with another five capable of servicing EVs. The ultimate goal is to have EV expertise in every dealership.
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Potential buyers will no doubt be miffed at having to wait another two years. But VW is making sure it hits the ground running the day it does avail the ID.4 to the public. At that time, it will hopefully be more affordable than what it will currently have to sell for. We don’t know for sure, but we estimate this number to be well over seven figures.
The all-electric VW ID.4 SUV is a great product that will no doubt already work. But it is bound to do much better much the right environment has been created for it.
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