70 MPH Highway Range Test

That is extremely encouraging! I also like the consistent estimate during the drive.

Given range correction estimates based on generic EV experience, one would have expected 190-200 miles at 70 mph and mid 40s temperature, starting from the 250 mile EPA range.
Can we hope to achieve 280+ miles at lower speeds and 70°F?

Agree! I expected around a 20% range reduction for around 200 miles. My Bolt loses 20% in the winter. In the summer I can easily hit 240 to 250 miles projected from the older 238 mile battery. The real interesting thing about the 70mph test was he is also running the heater. That's usually a 5% to 10% additional hit on range. Very much looking forward to the ID.4!

So, on a longer trip with multiple charges at say an EA charge station, if it is recommended to charge only to 80%, the range between charges will be something less than 200 miles. As I understand the charge process, as the battery approaches 80% it slows down progressively. So the extra time to charge beyond 80% may be excessive anyhow. So 3 charge stops on a 700 mile trip with a 100% initial charge. Am I missing something here?

Heat pump! What heat pump?

You may be even better off charging less but more frequently. The charge curve for the ID4 is approx. flat to 40%, then gradually drops, and goes off a cliff after 80%.
Engineering Explained had a video where he followed this more frequent charging strategy and saved time.

ChristophW said:

That is extremely encouraging! I also like the consistent estimate during the drive.

Given range correction estimates based on generic EV experience, one would have expected 190-200 miles at 70 mph and mid 40s temperature, starting from the 250 mile EPA range.
Can we hope to achieve 280+ miles at lower speeds and 70°F?

Click to expand...

I agree its great news. I think we can get 280+, and that happens to be the number that Audi has been talking up for the new Q4 etron which has the same MEB platform, same battery size, but 300hp AWD. I think Audi achieved that range with it on the WLTP test which is easier than the EPA one.

Edit: I found this early review for the ID.4 AWD that says they got 323 miles range on that WLTP test:
VW ID.4 Prototype 'Brilliantly Responsive' in First Drive

Really encouraging test. I wonder how the ID.4 would do rangewise in frigid temps (<10 deg F)?

SunWizard said:

I agree its great news. I think we can get 280+, and that happens to be the number that Audi has been talking up for the new Q4 etron which has the same MEB platform, same battery size, but 300hp AWD. I think Audi achieved that range with it on the WLTP test which is easier than the EPA one.

Edit: I found this early review for the ID.4 AWD that says they got 323 miles range on that WLTP test:
VW ID.4 Prototype 'Brilliantly Responsive' in First Drive

Click to expand...

Nope. That’s not a review of the AWD

fredf said:

Nope. That’s not a review of the AWD

Click to expand...

From that link:
Also set for introduction in 2021 are a pair of all-wheel-drive ID.4 performance models, both using the larger 77-kWh battery in combination with two electric motors – a smaller unit mounted up front and a main unit at the rear – developing a combined 262 hp or, in an unconfirmed GTX-badged range topper, a headlining 302 hp.

Volkswagen says models with the 77-kWh battery boast a range of up to 323 miles (520 km) on the WLTP test cycle.

Added note: That was reallly early, now that the ID.4 is out, the RWD models in UK got officially rated 310 miles range on WLTP. The press are estimating the AWD will be 290 WLTP. This seems like a good number since the Q4 is 280 and is the same AWD platform but slightly heavier.

SunWizard said:

From that link:
Volkswagen says models with the 77-kWh battery boast a range of up to 323 miles (520 km) on the WLTP test cycle.

Click to expand...

Again, not a review result, just a WLTP estimate.

Added note: That was reallly early, now that the ID.4 is out, the RWD models in UK got officially rated 310 miles range on WLTP. The press are estimating the AWD will be 290 WLTP.

Click to expand...

WLTP has no relevance to real world performance, just for comparing one vehicle to another. 290 miles WLTP is probably going to be 230 EPA.

SunWizard said:

Volkswagen says models with the 77-kWh battery boast a range of up to 323 miles (520 km) on the WLTP test cycle.

Click to expand...

They are talking about the RWD model here.

FredT said:

WLTP has no relevance to real world performance, just for comparing one vehicle to another. 290 miles WLTP is probably going to be 230 EPA.

Click to expand...

Well its the number the rest of the world uses and represents more city driving than the EPA test. Except Tesla whose EPA are 10% higher than WLTP, so to compare anyone elses to Tesla numbers is whats not fair. According to the experts the best real world number would be the average of the WLTP and EPA, so for the ID.4 = 280. And that WLTP is more consistent way to compare across brands.
Here Is What A Comparison Of EPA/WLTP Range Ratings Reveal

The point was simply to say that yes, range of 280 from the ID.4 should be fairly common when its not all highway miles.

Timbobh said:

Really encouraging test. I wonder how the ID.4 would do rangewise in frigid temps (<10 deg F)?

Click to expand...

A guy in Norway posted he was getting 224 miles, but his ID4 had a heat pump.

jlewis3323 said:

A guy in Norway posted he was getting 224 miles, but his ID4 had a heat pump.

Click to expand...

At those very low temps, I'm curious if a heat pump would even help. I'm not up on the latest and greatest heat pump tech so I can't comment on what exterior temperature a heat pump stops being effective, but at some low temperature they would have to switch back to resistive heating

Geo said:

Summing it up : 230 miles from 100% to 2% with temps at 40-48 degrees F. Here's the chart:

State of Charge	Miles Driven	Est. Remaining Range	Miles Driven + Est.
100%	0 miles	241 miles	241 miles
75%	61 miles	184 miles	225 miles
50%	116 miles	124 miles	240 miles
25%	169 miles	166 miles	235 miles
2%	230 miles	4 miles	234 miles

Not bad at all.

Click to expand...

Has anyone done a 80mph highway test?

KB57 said:

Has anyone done a 80mph highway test?

Click to expand...

Not that I have seen, but ABRP does the best job of estimating range I have seen, so I did a test from Sierra Blanca TX to El Paso (nice link to the test here) which is 80mph and flat, and it estimates 2.74m/kwh which equals a range of 211. That 19mi or about 10% drop is about what I expect when going 80 versus 75.

You could use it to test range on the exact trip you plan to run and it accounts for speed limit and elevation changes, and it also shows all the chargers and how long for each DCFC stop.