EPA Range And Price Overview

In 2023, the Volkswagen ID.4 happens to be one of the most interesting all-electric crossover/SUV models on the market in the United States.

Let’s take a look at the model, which since July 2022 has been locally produced in Chattanooga, Tennessee (compared to the initial batch, which were imported from Germany).

There are several versions of the Volkswagen ID.4. We can divide them by the battery pack capacity (total value) of 62 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or 82 kWh, as well as by the powertrain type – single-motor (150 kilowatts), rear-wheel drive (RWD) or dual-motor (220 kW), all-wheel drive (AWD).

The battery cells for the locally produced Volkswagen ID.4 come from SK Innovation’s SK On factory in Georgia (previously the company was using LG Energy Solution cells). This change was crucial not only to secure a stable supply of batteries for local needs but also to secure access to the $7,500 federal tax credit, under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) – more on that later.

EPA Range

Let’s start with the EPA Combined range and efficiency ratings. The official numbers are already available and reveal results of 209 miles in the case of the 62-kWh battery and RWD powertrain, 275 miles in the 82-kWh RWD version, and 255 miles in the 82-kWh AWD version.

2023 Volkswagen ID.4 EPA Combined range:

• ID.4 Standard 19-inch (62 kWh, RWD): 209 miles (336 km)
• ID.4 S 20-inch (62 kWh, RWD): 209 miles (336 km)
• ID.4 Pro 19-inch (82 kWh, RWD): 275 miles (442 km)
• ID.4 Pro S 20-inch (82 kWh, RWD): 275 miles (442 km)
• ID.4 AWD Pro 19-inch (82 kWh, AWD): 255 miles (410 km)
• ID.4 AWD Pro S 20-inch (82 kWh, AWD): 255 miles (410 km)

It means that the additional 20 kWh (or 32 percent) of battery capacity, increases range by about 66 miles (or 31.6 percent).

On the other hand, those who would like to have an all-wheel-drive version must sacrifice about 20 miles of range (or over 7 percent of range). This change however makes the car quicker, with a 0-60 miles per hour time of 5.7-5.8 seconds, instead of 7.7-7.8 seconds. By the way, the entry-level versions can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 7.1-7.3 seconds.

Energy consumption, including charging losses, of the rear-wheel drive versions of the Volkswagen ID.4 is about 9 percent lower than the all-wheel drive versions.

Here are the results for EPA Combined test cycle:

• 62 kWh, RWD: 107 MPGe: 315 Wh/mi (196 Wh/km)
• 82 kWh, RWD: 107 MPGe: 315 Wh/mi (196 Wh/km)
• 82 kWh, AWD: 99 MPGe: 340 Wh/mi (212 Wh/km)

However, in the case of highway driving, the EPA Highway indicates a higher energy consumption (and lower driving range) by at least several percent.

• 62 kWh, RWD: 99 MPGe: 340 Wh/mi (212 Wh/km)
• 82 kWh, RWD: 98 MPGe: 344 Wh/mi (214 Wh/km)
• 82 kWh, AWD: 93 MPGe: 362 Wh/mi (225 Wh/km)

We skipped the Pro S Plus/AWD Pro S Plus trims, which have the same technical data as the non-Plus trims.

Charging

The Volkswagen ID.4 is equipped with an 11 kW on-board charger, which is able to fully recharge the battery pack in six hours and 15 minutes (62 kWh) or seven hours and 30 minutes (82 kWh).

An interesting thing is that the switch to SK On battery cells allowed to slightly increase the peak DC fast charging power to 140 kW (62 kWh) and 170 kW (82 kWh), which reduced the charging process by several minutes to around 30 minutes (10-80 percent state-of-charge). Of course, all the numbers are valid for the best-case scenario, when a charger with sufficient power is available, and the battery pack’s temperature is in the optimum range.

Volkswagen tries to attract customers also by adding three years of free 30-minute DC fast charging sessions at Electrify America stations. For some customers, it might be pretty valuable.

Prices of the Volkswagen ID.4 increased in late 2022, and currently are a few thousand higher than in the case of the 2022 model year (there might be also some changes in terms of equipment). In parallel, the destination charge increased by $100 to $1,295.

However, the 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 is eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, which significantly improves its competitive position, compared to imported BEVs from other foreign manufacturers (like Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota) that are not eligible for the incentive at all.

Because of that, the Volkswagen ID.4 is one of the most interesting all-electric, crossover/SUV models on the market. The 62-kWh battery version starts at an MSRP of $38,995 (+$1,295) DST, which effectively means $32,790.

The 82-kWh battery version starts at an MSRP of $43,995 and is effectively priced at $37,790, while the AWD versions are $4,000 more expensive (effectively from $41,590).

The record sales results in Q1 (almost 10,000 units) appear to confirm that the offer is currently interesting for consumers. In the January-February period, the ID.4 was the fourth most popular BEV model in the US (ahead of the Ford Mustang Mach-E).