Most automakers will build at least one electric car in 2023. Most automakers have also chosen to build their first electric vehicle (EV) by adapting the most popular form of vehicle in America — the midsize SUV.
So buyers considering an electric SUV have an abundance of choices.
But the Volkswagen ID.4 might be the right first EV for many. It delivers the same virtues as the competition — the familiar, versatile SUV form and low-cost electric driving. But it also offers some clever innovations that make it particularly easy to live with. Even fun.
The ID.4 starts at just $38,995. Unlike some rivals, it’s eligible for a $7,500 federal tax rebate, bringing that price down to a startlingly reasonable number. With the average new car selling for over $48,000 now, ID.4 buyers can get a high-tech, near-luxury car for less than the average new vehicle.
But you might want to spend more.
The top-of-the-line ID.4 is the AWD Pro S Plus. It offers more power, added style, and some creature comforts that push it close to luxury car territory. The AWD Pro S Plus starts at $55,245, but most buyers will qualify for the big tax discount to cut that price.
Let’s take a closer look at what it has to offer.
295 Horsepower, All-Wheel Drive
Volkswagen offers the ID.4 with one motor on the rear axle or a pair of motors, one on each.
Single-motor setups get 201 hp — more than enough for city and highway driving. The power can surprise you if you’ve never driven an electric car. Internal combustion engines build power slowly, like turning a dimmer dial to raise the lights in a room. EVs instantly make 100% of their power available, like throwing a switch. The surge of power is instant.
But dual-motor editions get 295 hp for more passing power. They’re also all-wheel drive (AWD) thanks to a motor on each axle. That gives you added grip in poor weather — a blessing if you drive in the cold and wet.
Delightful ID.Light Bar
The ID.Light bar is one of our favorite features found on any new car.
It’s a thin line of LEDs at the base of the windshield. The ID.4 uses it to communicate many things in subtle ways in the driver’s peripheral vision.
Input a navigation destination, and it pulses from one side to the other to indicate where to turn. Turn on the car, and it displays the state of the battery’s charge. If the driver or the front passenger starts a voice command, it flashes on their side as if to show that it’s listening.
In an age when cars are overrun with screens and input, it’s an unobtrusive way to communicate. And, dare we say — it’s cute. It gives the car personality. It makes your ID.4 feel like a droid companion.
Sit-to-Start
As long as we’re on the subject, nothing makes your ID.4 feel like a 23rd-century star shuttle so much as the car’s sit-to-start feature.
You don’t turn a key to start it. You don’t push a button to start it. No, to start the ID.4, you just sit in the driver’s seat. As long as you have the key, that’s what starts it up.
It’s wildly unnecessary technology, we know. But it’s fun.
Bigger Battery for Longer Range
VW keeps the price of the ID.4 Standard low, in part, with a 62 kWh battery. That gives it a range of 209 miles — more than enough for most people almost every day of the year. But the AWD Pro S Plus gets a larger 82 kWh cell.
It’s good for 255 miles — and adds peace of mind when planning charging stations for a road trip. If the range is your biggest concern, a step down to the rear-wheel drive Pro S Plus gets you most of the same equipment and 20 more miles in exchange for a horsepower penalty.
Free Charging
Every 2023 ID.4 comes with up to three years of free charging at Electrify America stations. Electrify America expects to have more than 1,700 charging stations (with more than 9,500 chargers) by the end of 2025.
More Volkswagen ID.4
See what other ID.4 trim levels offer or see 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 models for sale near you.
