This really is the EV for all.
German marque Volkswagen has lifted the lid on some specifics surrounding their upcoming ID.3 electric hatchback, today talking about things like battery capacities, recharge times, lineup breakdowns and so on. We now have a better idea of what to expect from the car that VW says heralds the ‘third chapter’ of its story, and the first of a breed that’ll soon widen to include many, many siblings.
The ID.3 will offer up no less than three battery capacities, those being 45kWh, 58kWh, and 77kWh respectively. As a result, three outright ranges will be offered too, ranging from 330km in the base model, 420km for the intermediate variant, and 550km on the flagship. But perhaps most critically, Volkswagen has claimed that after 8-years and 160,000km, the batteries should be able to retain “at least 70%” usable capacity.
For the ID, Volkswagen’s going through the trouble of developing new wallboxes to allow for overnight recharging, something that owners would want to have (if only to offset range anxiety). As such the new wallboxes with 11kW AC capacity should be able to offer a dead-to-full recharge in about 9-10hrs (we estimate); but thanks to the 125kW on-board charger, a DC fast charger can re-juice an ID.3 with 260km range in just 30-minutes. Impressive stuff.
The ID.3 will debut soon (with deliveries set for April 2020) with the mid-range variant, with 420km and a 58kWh battery. We’re made to understand that once production of the mid-range model has ramped up successfully, VW will then add on the entry-level and range-topping variants to the production line. Prices are expected to be around £34,000 for the mid-ranger, which means it’ll bottom out (probably) at around £30,000.
