Winter Driving

All Volkswagen ID.4 related discussions
User avatar
Andy_8
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2021 3:50 pm

Post by Andy_8 »

I've just completed my first long run. Lille (France) To Leeds *return. In my ID4 GTX Max

99% Motorway ACC @ 70mph 4c to 6c raining going and at 75mph coming back 14c to 8c dry'ish. 50/50 Day/Night driving both ways. A/C off but heating on at 20c (Heat Pump)
Left Lille @ 100% and the car said only one stop in Cambridge was required. (If only my bladder felt the same way).
Any way it went Lille > Maidstone Services (toilet break and +10% juice) > Cambridge services arrived with 17% (Would have been 7% if not for needing a pee) Juiced up to 80% > Leeds
Coming back I left Leeds with 80% > Peterborough services ( Juiced to 80%) having just enough time to toilet and eat before the charge was finished > Maidstone services (Juiced to 80 %) > Cained it to Lille @ 75-80mph as.....well why not !

After all that 700+ miles *real world* Motorway driving in ECO mode with ACC on GOM had settled on 180'ish miles @ 80% charge. (2.87mi/kwh)

All in all time wise it was no different as to the times I've done the same trip in my old (2018 VW Tiguan) about 7hrs 45 mins except it was quieter, more comfortable, cheaper on energy cost and kinder to the environment in the ID4 GTX.

The Sports Seat are great and very supportive.
The DCC at softest setting does a good job on crappy Yorkshire roads.
300bhp is enough to have a little giggle when conditions permit.
Downside was the Sat-Nav took almost 10 minutes to realize what country it was in after driving from the Euro-tunnel. (fortunately I know the route)
I realized that the car has more range than I do and if I wanted to stop where I wanted/needed to pee It will pull more juice if I set the Charging station as the destination. (I guess that is preheating going on)
Starting to feel less nervous about dipping below 10% remaining charge but mentally not comfortable doing that yet. (Petrol head say's no but I guess that will pass with time and more confidence)

Overall very pleased and looking forward to some Spring/Summer road trips :)
2021 ID4 GTX (MAX)
Top Sport - Design Plus - Infotainment Plus - Assistance Plus - Sport Plus

CoxJul
Posts: 64
Joined: Tue May 04, 2021 6:14 pm

Post by CoxJul »

That first 'long trip' in your electric vehicle where range anxiety may actually be a thing does give many drivers that remaining bit of confidence in their vehicle that they may have been lacking. You're correct, bladder and comfort anxiety probably kick in before battery limits; we just need to get in the habit of doing the equivalent of a "splash and dash"* when we take comfort breaks - that extra 10% may just be the saving grace if we're unlucky with unavailable chargers closer to the range.

I did a similar distance in the summer - near London to Scottish Borders and back (~700 miles), with a couple of hundred incidental miles inbetween. Could have done it with one-stop at Skipton Lakes Ionity near Leeds but at Motorway speeds that would have been right on the limit - so a quick 15m boost on a lower speed charger during a comfort break gave reassurance - I then topped off at Alnwick before heading into what I thought would be a charger wilderness or Berwickshire. Turned out a nearby Charge Scotland 50kw charger did the incidental mileage no problem.

* I think we need an electric equivalent of "splash and dash"...

"boost and scoot"?
"Wee, watts and whoosh"? (suggestion from family member)

Any better ideas?
Mark1905
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2022 12:44 pm

Post by Mark1905 »

Davidf27 - I have preheated my car this morning via the app and have also had the passenger seat and steering wheel come on even though I selected right hand side heating, did you find out why this was occurring and has it happened since?
User avatar
Andy_8
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2021 3:50 pm

Post by Andy_8 »

Andy_8 wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 2:16 pm I've just completed my first long run. Lille (France) To Leeds *return. In my ID4 GTX Max

99% Motorway ACC @ 70mph 4c to 6c raining going and at 75mph coming back 14c to 8c dry'ish. 50/50 Day/Night driving both ways. A/C off but heating on at 20c (Heat Pump)
Left Lille @ 100% and the car said only one stop in Cambridge was required. (If only my bladder felt the same way).
Any way it went Lille > Maidstone Services (toilet break and +10% juice) > Cambridge services arrived with 17% (Would have been 7% if not for needing a pee) Juiced up to 80% > Leeds
Coming back I left Leeds with 80% > Peterborough services ( Juiced to 80%) having just enough time to toilet and eat before the charge was finished > Maidstone services (Juiced to 80 %) > Cained it to Lille @ 75-80mph as.....well why not !

After all that 700+ miles *real world* Motorway driving in ECO mode with ACC on GOM had settled on 180'ish miles @ 80% charge. (2.87mi/kwh)

All in all time wise it was no different as to the times I've done the same trip in my old (2018 VW Tiguan) about 7hrs 45 mins except it was quieter, more comfortable, cheaper on energy cost and kinder to the environment in the ID4 GTX.

The Sports Seat are great and very supportive.
The DCC at softest setting does a good job on crappy Yorkshire roads.
300bhp is enough to have a little giggle when conditions permit.
Downside was the Sat-Nav took almost 10 minutes to realize what country it was in after driving from the Euro-tunnel. (fortunately I know the route)
I realized that the car has more range than I do and if I wanted to stop where I wanted/needed to pee It will pull more juice if I set the Charging station as the destination. (I guess that is preheating going on)
Starting to feel less nervous about dipping below 10% remaining charge but mentally not comfortable doing that yet. (Petrol head say's no but I guess that will pass with time and more confidence)

Overall very pleased and looking forward to some Spring/Summer road trips :)
Now I'm working away from home (Hotel life) in eastern France and the cold mornings are -2c or -3c. Flat cold dark morning starts for a 20 kilometre (12.5 miles) trip are pulling 7% of the charge out of the 77kwh max available. I've to use public chargers ranging from 11kw to 50kw and the associated pitfalls of is it occupied when I get there or is it working. I'm pretty much going through 20% charge per day for 50 kilometres. (30 miles) Max speed is 55 mph.
I've signed up for the OTA updates and really hope that v 3.0 software can sort out the high cold short trip consumption rate. :roll:

Long runs are great and 450km (280 miles) with an average speed of 68mph is not really different timewise to taking a fossil car. (2.7 -2.8 MI/kWh)
2021 ID4 GTX (MAX)
Top Sport - Design Plus - Infotainment Plus - Assistance Plus - Sport Plus
CoxJul
Posts: 64
Joined: Tue May 04, 2021 6:14 pm

Post by CoxJul »

Having had it confirmed by a couple of other posts here it appears the scheduled heating has a bug of defaulting to a LHD setup by turning on the Left seat, in our cases the passenger seat!
Warrior
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2021 11:12 am
Location: Worcester

Post by Warrior »

As mentioned, cold, dark Winter days are taking their toll, with all the equipment we have turned on. I think it's something we have to learn to live with and plan our journeys carefully. Despite all this, I wouldn't revert back to an ICE car now.
ID4 1st Edition in Dusk Blue Metallic (77 kWh)
EO Mini Pro 2
CoxJul
Posts: 64
Joined: Tue May 04, 2021 6:14 pm

Post by CoxJul »

Also made the mistake last week of setting a scheduled pre-heat daily - even though I use the car occasionally at different times. Bye-bye 20%+.
Post Reply