Three Days with Volkswagen’s Battery Powered Car for Humans: Bauhaus Design meets R2D2 and spawns another Lovable creature.

The ID.4 is an all-electric SUV from VW that is very different from other cars, but tries not to be. I spent three days with one and came away feeling just a little better about the future of humanity.

With all the news about global warming, with the effects of Putin’s war on gas prices, with Teslas now the de-facto state car of California, and with the government - at least for the time being - offering tax rebates on electric cars, it seemed time to consider taking that next evolutionary step. I was pondering this when a sleek new ID.4 showed up in our neighborhood and I thought “There go the Wilsons! Seems everyone is evolving except us!” (Thanks, and tip of hat, to Gary Larson.)

Not to mix metaphors, but could it really be as easy as the Wizard of Oz handing me the keys and saying “with this ID.4, you are now an evolved citizen of the future”?

Dare to take it for a spin?

So we decided to take an ID.4 for a test drive - but not just the 30-minute dealer drive. Luckily there’s an app for that and it’s called Turo, a kind of Air B&B for autos. There we found a 2022 ID.4 AWD Pro S for $98/day and so we rented one for three days. It was as simple as signing up, getting an address to pick up the car, and dropping that into Google Maps.

HMI or MHI

HMI stands for “Human-Machine Interface” and presumes that it’s a design built for humans to interact with machines. While using this car, it occurred to me that the folks (get it?) at Volkswagen had actually designed a car for machines to interact with humans - because the car is almost completely and unpretentiously utilitarian, and seems to anticipate what humans might want.

Our first hint that the ID.4 is not completely high tech was that the owner had to leave the keys for us on the wheel under the wheel well. That’s so 60’s. It reminded me of the time we were living in New Orleans, in the 60s, and during Mardi Gras swapped houses with a family from Colorado. We actually met them at a Holiday Inn halfway, somewhere in north Texas, to exchange house keys. We should have exchanged cars, too. Our Dodge Dart without snow tires ended up in a ditch on the west side of Vail Pass. But I digress. These days, most high tech cars have app-based entry so there’s no need to play hide the key.

Larger inside, than out

After retrieving the keys from the wheel well, I approached the car as the side mirrors unfolded in Yoda-like intelligence as if to say hello. I slid my hand under what looked like a handle (future fingerprint reader?) and the door pulled open - solidly. Peering inside, my first reaction was one of pleasant confusion; somehow the interior felt larger than the exterior. A bright, panoramic sunroof - no, sky roof - let the entire outdoors in, filling the cabin with space and bathing it in light. I sat down and observed how the skyroof stretched from behind the back seat all the way up to the aerodynamically sloped front windshield. The seats were comfortably high off the ground so that it felt more like sitting on a chair, and less like reclining feet-up in a dentist’s chair. The feeling of space and zen tranquility was enhanced by a minimalist dashboard: somehow the cacophony of instruments and controls of a normal car had been reduced to an iPad-sized tablet that sat perched on the edge of a leatherette dashboard, tempting me to pick it up. “Here I am!”

No, you can’t take it with you

Would somebody please make this portable? Courtesy Qamera Design Shop.

The first thing I did was connect my iPhone, so that I could have all of the familiar infotainment items at my disposal - Google maps, iTunes playlists, Podcasts, Audio Books, and Internet Radio. I don’t know why auto makers try to create their own navigation and infotainment when both Apple and Android have already done it, and especially since we are already familiar with those apps on our portable devices. But I still wanted to take that tablet console with me, to my other car, or to a rental, or to a loaner. Maybe because my design team had recently prototyped an app for that. Seriously. It’s coming: Console-in-an-iPad. Serious enough for me and a couple friends from Asia and Europe to have taken out a provisional patent on the app. We’ll probably get quashed by the giants from the valley but it was reassuring to see that cute infotainment screen on the ID.4 because it looks like a device that many of us carry around with us all the time. And yeah, it would be nice to configure it from my living room and drop it into my Hertz rental so I don’t have to deal with more learning curves while navigating the traffic of an unfamiliar city.

Connecting

Once connected, I liked how Apple’s CarPlay interacted with the auto-specific controls that I needed to refer to from time to time while driving - namely, climate control and car status. With Google maps displaying my route on the screen, I tapped on the “Climate” button to bring up a full-width modal display of the heating, air conditioning, air, seat heating and front and rear defog options. The ‘classic’ tab showed a digital version of the manual controls that most of us ICE* drivers are accustomed to, but they seemed a bit fiddly in their digital, capacitive reincarnations. So I tapped on the ‘smart’ tab and was presented with a few human-need-centric choices like ‘fresh air’ or ‘quick cool’ or ‘warm hands’. Here was an example of the machine trying to figure out what us humans need, and giving it to us. MHI.

So heuristically, from my map display it was just two taps to get exactly what I wanted: one tap to open the Climate center, and one more to select ‘fresh air.’ Then, just like on any other app, I pressed the “x” on the top left and I was returned directly to where I was before, my Google map. Sweet. Easy. Fast.

Two things that would improve this user’s experience: an inset view of the map while viewing other pages like climate, and a simple swipe function, familiar to iPhone and iPad users, that would allow me to switch between the most recently accessed pages.

Starting

I want to take that console with me. iPad for CarPlay, anyone?

Starting the car was, well, a non-starter because it had been on from the moment that I sat down. I only needed to put my foot on the brake for the screen to light up. It was then I noticed another tiny screen placed unobtrusively behind the steering wheel. It displays, in minimalist fashion, the speed in large easy to view digits as well as other key information including a cute speed limit sign based on intel - I wouldn’t go so far as to call it AI - that the machine gathers from actual street signs as you drive. It even adds the yellow for school speed zones - something I’ve been ticketed for more than once.

The learning curve for getting into “Drive” was steep as a bunny ski slope: on the right side of the steering wheel column was a kind of knob with arrows indicating for me to twist it forwards or backwards: forward to drive, backward to backup. And neutral in the middle. Okay that was fairly easy. “Park” was a bit less obvious; with my foot on the brake, I had to depress the edge of the knob to engage the Parking break - which was not a parking break at all; it simply locked the wheels to the gears. Removing my foot from the brake then produced the “you’re done driving” message (I can’t remember what it actually said. I was kind of expecting a querilous comment from HAL like “that was nice, Mr. Jardine, but you didn’t actually drive the car yet. Are you afraid of something?”)

Everything else was intuitive; the power mirrors adjustments, the power seat adjustments (and memory!), wipers, all that stuff. Ok so now, thanks HAL for your concern, I was ready to drive.

Driving

Driving was a dream - a quiet, smooth dream. Admittedly the bar for satisfaction was fairly low, this being my first EV experience. On the other hand, I was on the lookout for scary new technologies. For example I had observed the insane acceleration power of Teslas as they move through traffic like analog wolves in sheeps’ clothing, then suddenly burst ahead like they are in a video game. It can be a surreal experience indeed, driving in Teslafornia these days, especially for us out-of-staters.

So when I first pressed the accelerator (it’s no longer called a gas pedal), it was not without trepidation. Much to my relief, although with a small degree of boyish disappointment, the car moved off exactly as a ‘normal’ SUV would, with a very normal feeling of acceleration. Not too fast, and not too slow. The accelerator - which I knew to be electronic - had a very ‘analog’ style reaction to the initial pressure from my foot.

This made me want to see if the car really could jump into Tron, if called to do so. I pulled over and waited until there was no traffic around. I’m not a race car driver but I did previously own a Mini Cooper S that was a cross between a go kart and a pocket rocket so yeah I was familiar with a fast start. I was not expecting much from this SUV but as soon as I punched the accelerator, a monstrous electromagnet repelled the car like a flea. Silent and smooth, but with no squealing of tires. Hyperdrive. Good to know. I think the stats on the ID.4 are 0-60 in 5.5 seconds or something and yeah, I know Teslas’s can cover that in less than 3. But in either car, expect coffee stains if you don’t have the lid on! I certainly don’t expect to have to use that kind of torque very often, but it gave me a very safe feeling of reassurance that I could easily get myself out of trouble when needed.

So then I wondered, could it also accelerate at speed? Out on the highway, I was enjoying the soundless ride when a car crept up next to me to ogle the ID.4. We were both cruising at about 65 and I thought ok, let’s punch it. See if we can leave this guy in the dust. Again, the ID.4 jumped into hyperdrive. Lights on the side of the highway stretched out into lines. Trees became green smears. My face underwent touch-less dermabrasion. I glanced at the speedometer - thankfully placed right between my quivering hands on the wheel - and it said 95. The car that had been next to me was a spec in the mirror. “Sorry officer, it’s my first day in an EV.”

I enjoyed the semi-autonomous driving features but those are available in most cars these days and are not exclusive to EV’s. The adaptive cruise control worked all the way down to a full stop - cool! - but it allowed me to get a bit too close to the car in front of me, for my own comfort. But two button clicks on the Infotainment tablet - thanks, MHI - took me to where I could adjust the distance between me and the car in front. I selected ‘relaxed’ and the car just kept that distance. I can imagine the relaxed setting doesn’t work well in places like California where other cars will continually fill the gap between you and the one in front, to the point where, eventually, you will just slow to a stop!

Likewise lane assist worked very well. I tried it out on an exit ramp with a big cloverleaf curve on it, and the car stayed right in the middle of the lane. Good to know if I’m having a heart attack but otherwise, I’ll probably keep my hands on the wheel.

Beyond all this tech, what I really liked was the smooth, quiet ride as well as the confidence of the car, both in traffic and out on the highway. The batteries add some extra weight - about 20% compared to cars with gas engines - but they also create a lower center of gravity because all that extra weight is on the bottom of the car. This is particularly useful for SUV’s which traditionally are positioned higher off the ground and can in some cases be a flip risk. To test this out I took a few sharp, sudden turns - back on the city streets, not on the highway - and the car seemed to have claws on the road. Again, nice to know. However I would not recommend this as a style of driving because, with the added weight, it probably shreds those tires.

Recharging

On the third day it came time to recharge the car. There are many different options available but for my first charge ever, I selected the most convenient one, a high speed charger installed by our local utility, Seattle City Light and managed, curiously, by Shell. It was just across the street from our neighborhood Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. At this location there were two pumps - er sorry, chargers - each with two nozzles - er, charger cords. One of the chargers only accepted “Chadmo” which is an acronym for an older and slower technology that the newer EV’s like the ID.4 cannot connect to. The other charger had the newer “CCS” type, but one of the two cords was out of service. This, I learned, is pretty much the state of play here in late 2022 so it really helps to check out first whether a charging station has the connections you need, and whether those are even working. Luckily, there’s an app for that. It’s called Plugshare.

So with no experience, I looked at the screen. It said “first connect to your car.” Ok, cool. So I picked up the connector cable and plugged it into the ID.4 in the same location and same way that I would connect a gas hose to the tank. It locked with a strong click. The screen on the charger immediately lit up and said ‘initiating’ then showed that I was at 49% charge. Ok. My options were to pay with an RFID card (what the heck is that?), a credit card (call this 800 number to get permission, umm no thanks) or download the Shell app. So I chose the last option, downloaded the app, signed up for a Shell account, validated my credit card… then the charger informed me that I had to disconnect the cord from the car and re-start the process. I reached to pull the plug from the car, only to discover that it was locked in place. How can I disconnect if it is locked? I kind of freaked out and messaged the owner of the ID.4, thinking it might have been a hardware issue. I looked around to see if there were any impatient EV owners waiting for me to get my act together. While I waited for him to respond, I fiddled with the Shell app and then suddenly heard a ‘click.’ The charger cord had disconnected from the car. I plugged it back in and, immediately, heard the whirring sound of the high speed charging ramping up. The rate of charge on the screen quickly increased up to 40 kWh, and the app told me I would reach an 80% charge in about 25 minutes. Cool! Time to go shopping!

Why ID.4? Why Now?

From my point of view, the ID.4 is the only true SUV (reasonable ground clearance, storage and tow capacity plus AWD) that is both ‘reasonably available’ and ‘reasonably priced’ on the market. That’s about to change as everyone is going electric. But be prepared to wait.

Two incentives make this car a good choice. First, it’s now made in the U.S. so it meets the made-in-America tax refund of $7500 as long as you don’t earn too much money. And second, it includes three years of free high speed charging on the Electrify America network which was funded by VW as part of a government mandated penalty for diesel-gate. My guess is the free charging will last about as long as Tesla’s did before they pulled the plug. Both incentives come with asterisk’s but in short, the timing is good.

About That Bauhaus

Volkswagen has always been just a little quirky. The original beetle was a direct descendent of the Bauhaus school that attempted to unify the principles of mass production with individual artistic vision. It was delightfully aerodynamic before that was even a word - there’s a reason the Tesla Model Y looks like a big bug, just as man’s design for airplanes looks very much like a big bird. I remember driving in a 60’s beetle that didn’t even have a gas gauge. My sister’s larger and much faster, hippy-green 2010 beetle turbo, had a little flower holder next to the steering wheel, complete with a plastic flower that poked out and spun around with the wind. The 2022 ID.4 also has some cute quirks such as a backlit VW logo on the front and what seems to be a sly grin. And the latest version coming out of their Chattanooga plant comes with ‘the light bar,’ a curious linear disco ball spread across the dashboard that communicates things like turn signals and navigational instructions and that somehow makes me think I’m inside R2D2. Which brings us to that funny name. What’s up with ID.4, anyhow?

GLOSSARY

EV

Electric Vehicle

ICE

Internal Combustion Engine

L1 charger

Anything that can be charged off a common house-hold current. Like my AirPods in 30 minutes, or like the ID.4 in about seven days.

L2 charger

Runs off a A 240-volt, 50 amp power line, basically the same as your clothes drier. Easy and cheap to install. Can charge msot EV’s overnight.

L3 charger

Basically a supercharger for EV’s - A DC-powered, high voltage charging station that can charge an ID.4 from 20% to 80% in about 38 minutes. Costs about $100,000 to install but luckily, companies do this and underwrite their expense by teaming up with large retailers and other attractions that would be happy to have well-heeled folks roaming around their aisles for 30 minutes at a time. Also the electric utilities are getting into the game. And some banks.

kWh

The amount of energy that you would use by keeping a 1,000 watt appliance running for one hour. It is the standard unit of measurement for energy. The latest ID.4 can ‘hold’ (charge) up to 82kWh but that is ‘gross.’ You have access to less because you cannot use all of the charge.

m/kWh

The distance that an EV can drive, in miles, per KWh. This is the EV equivalent of MPG. Under normal conditions the ID.4 can average around 3.2~3.5 miles per kWh. So if you do the math, its maximum range on a full charge is 3.5 miles x 82 KWh = 287 miles. However on highways driving at 70 mph and only consuming 80% of the charge, you should expect just north of 200 miles.

Charging Time

This is calculated at “Battery Capacity in kWh” / “Charge Speed”. So typically on L2 charger - your drier outlet - the time to get a full charge would be 82 kWh / 7.65kW = 10.7 hours to charge from 0 to 100%. But on a high speed charger with a rate of 130kW, you could charge in 82 / 130 = 37 minutes. Except that the charging speed decreases as the charge gets higher. So it gets really inefficient to charge more than 80% on one of these machines. Which is why VW has limited its free charging on EA stations to 30 minutes, which should be almost enough to get you from 20% to 80%.

My Qualifications for Writing this

I am…

Not a video blogger or YouTube personality.
Experiencing a growing moral indignation towards pouring liquified dinosaur remains into my car and otherwise contributing to the heating of our planet.
Not all that well-read or informed about the environmental impacts and true carbon costs of EV’s and their battery systems - but I am content to read any reports that support my view that EVS’s are the future and ICE’s are not.

What’s the Big ID.4?