Autonomy Challenge- Volkswagen ID3 PRO

We have just picked up this magnificent Volkswagen ID.3 PRO. from the Volkswagen Carhaus facilities in Sant Boi de Llobregat, by the hand of our friend Jordi Layola Sans. What autonomy challenge do we want to achieve with this vehicle? We want to do the same route completed the week before with the MGZS EV, despite having a smaller battery. We will travel, more than 300 km, without recharging their batteries, driving efficiently, despite the fact that the forecast temperatures will be a few degrees below zero. We will get it?

A compact, which adopts the meaning of the brand name, the people's car, the firm's first electric car, based on the MEB platform that will serve other members of the ID family and also the rest of the German group companies.

On Friday we were able to carry out the first driving tests, to familiarize ourselves with the vehicle and also with its efficiency and recharging capacity. Very interesting, by the way, the fact that the rear-wheel drive allows the car a better turning radius, much appreciated inside the building's parking lot.

These data tell us that, with efficient driving, we can achieve consumption very close to the approved ones and, therefore, overcome a 300 km route in a wide way, in a maximum time of 5:00 h, including control stops.

To achieve this, we know that our consumption must be less than 17 kWh/100 km and the average speed cannot be below 70 km/h.

In the first section, through l'A-7 to Figueres, we managed to reach a consumption of 16.3 kW/100 km at an average of 85 km/h, we maintain a 59% battery and we have consumed almost two hours, including a 10-minute stop at the Empordà service area where, in addition to the control photo, we were comforted by a warm coffee.

The most difficult section was yet to come, and that is that the C-37 highway, between Olot and Vic, through the Bracons tunnels, has very high ramps, which require a consumption of up to 50 kWh/100 km. In fact, once the top is reached, the car indicates that with a 25% battery we will not reach the challenge.

Fortunately, our calculations were more accurate and already, on the Vic plain, after the intense descent and 230 km from the start, the car indicates a slight recovery of the battery and a range of 117 km, enough to complete the 77 that we are missing

305 km, after taking the start we reach, again, the starting point with 12% remaining battery, about 47 km left over and we can start the fast recharging of the battery in our Raption 50 fast charging station.

The temperatures along the route have been very low, between -1.5 and + 7 C, but the radiant day has allowed us to make minimal use of the climate, which in winter, in this model without a heat pump, It supposes a consumption of more than 1.5 kWh/100km.

Autonomy Challenge Results - Volkswagen ID3 Pro

Conclusion:

The Volkswagen ID3 PRO has shown to have a very correct, smooth and flexible driving behavior on all terrains, and we especially liked its adaptive cruise control to traffic conditions, which stops and resumes the march if the vehicle that precedes us does so.

The final consumption, higher than the approved one, is surely due to the low temperatures, as well as the demands of both motorway traffic and climbing mountain passes.

Special Thanks:

Clarifications:

The Solidarity Tour is a 20 km route starting and finishing at the Circutor headquarters in Viladecavalls, which runs along very twisty secondary roads with slopes of up to 250 m.

The EcoBest tour is a 60 km mixed route that includes approximately 50% motorway, 25% city and the rest on interurban roads, very similar to the distribution of the WLTP cycle.

All our challenges are based on achieving maximum autonomy, in real traffic conditions, using efficient driving techniques and moderate speeds, always above the minimum marked on each road.