VW ID.4

I hope the software update does address some of the winter range issues. I've had mine since April last year. During the summer months I was getting close to 5km per 1% battery, and that was a mix of short and a couple of long journeys.

But in winter, that has fallen through the floor, and definitely short journeys just destroy range. I had charged the other night, and the following day I did just two journeys, totally about 7K of SOC went from 80% to 70%. So 4% battery for 7km. So based on that I'd get a range of circa 140km on an 80% charge.

Personally speaking, I think the manufacturers (I'm not just pointing finger at VW here as I think all EVs suffer this) have really not taken the battery loss in colder weather seriously from the start. I do think it is outrageous that they can claim (using VW iD.4 here) a 500km range and then in winter you can lose effectively 50% of that due to cold weather & use of the heater (appreciate there is no engine to provide the heat). They really need to give it more attention.

On a separate note, but again related to the winter, the condensation that forms on the inside of the windows when the car is sitting is mental. Its really is terrible, and gives a bit of a damp feel inside the car. Even after wiping it off, still need to use the heater to clear the windscreen properly, and another hit to battery.

Dont get me wrong, I do like the car, but these things need addressing (along with the laggy software). To me its not good enough to be saying "just leave the car plugged in to heat the battery before you drive or turn the aircon on to preheat the cabin".

But thats not true unless you are saying that when people talk about range they mean "how many short journeys from cold can I do".

Most people interpret range as "how far can the car go in one trip". Using that definition you will get way more than 140km for 80% as you will only be heating the cabin once.

In your example... it went from 80-->70%. OK, so is that really a problem? Its not like it affected your ability to use the car that day or the next.

VW, for sure, have improvements to make on the battery heating which is sucking unnecessary energy from the battery in winter but the batteries are so big anyway its not really that big a deal. I think the issue is overblown.

Thats not normal. You should get your dealer to look at that. Maybe you have a leak or the a/c isnt workign properly. Are your carpets damp? Do you leave the air con on so that it can dehumidify or do you leave it off? You should leave it on, particularly in winter.

140km at 80% charge????? Are you serious! Wow, you're giving me range anxiety.

Update: Car ordered mid-June. The car is now in the country and currently being registered. Delivery hopefully in the next two weeks. good news.

I'd be ringing the garage and asking why the car is now in worse condition than when you handed it in 😬

Half the threads here are people saying battery degradation is some sort of myth, and the other half go to extraordinary lengths to preserve their battery integrity.

goes to show how little understanding there is of the battery chemistry, or perhaps too many stories from early EV adopters who got burned.

My point is - why are you worried about the battery being charged to 100% for a week or two. It’s surely not that fragile, on such an expensive car.

and it’s got an 8 year warranty.

I must confess to hitting F5 several times today. And glad to see that the VIN has just popped up . At least my car physically exists now.

As Im still working from home at moment, im not using the car every morning. But, and it is just my opinion, its a serious **** flaw if you have to preheat the car every morning (in cold weather) to keep it from getting damp on the interior. Surely the interior should not be getting condensation like that. I havent noticed mats being wet, but certainly a slight feel of the seats being a little damp.

I've used the aircon when using the heater to clear and de-humidify the windows and the clear fine, but its another hit on the battery as a result.

I don't see any significant condensation or dampness in mine and I never preheat