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Buy an ID.4 in the US...and register in France?

1490 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  gtwhitegold
I have done plenty of research and seen posts on expat forums that suggest this would be an exercise in futility (cost, certification timeline, loss of US warranty, resale perception), but I keep coming back to the potential net savings of attempting this if we plan to keep an ID.4 a long time. Does anyone here have any first-hand experience or knowledge around the homologation/certification modifications and process that would be required for a 2021 vehicle sold concurrently in the US and France?

Between VAT, exchange rate and the $7500 US EV tax credit, the initial savings would be significant. I'm just wondering how to definitively identify the list of changes that would be required to certify a US ID.4 for French roadworthiness. One example - I've seen a comment on another make around needing to swap out windows, even though they were identical, because the required EU markings weren't stamped on them. Obviously if there are enough of these arbitrary changes required throughout the vehicle, the net savings would erode. And if an extended/international warranty (if available) were too expensive or limited, that would weigh into the cost/benefit as well.

While the top-spec EU models have features that I want such as HUD and matrix lights, I could live without them. Ultimately, if this re-reg pursuit still proves to be futile, we'll just wait and pick up a demo or CPO ID.4 once we move over there next summer, and I'd console myself by knowing I got some extra features. Just wondering if anyone here has ventured down this path before.
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Don't do it. If nothing else, in France they use CCS2 charge connectors while in the US we have CCS1. You would not be able to charge the car anywhere.
That's very helpful, thanks, and saves me from burning further calories on this. Not an area of the car I'd want to retrofit and probably not one that would ever get approved! I hadn't paid attention to charge port differences (whether for slow or fast charging) in all the US and EU review videos I've watched and had assumed I'd just need an EU cable for home charging.
How much do you think you will save by purchasing one here? It seems like a lot of trouble but if the payoff is large it might be worth it.
At least $25k to start (including EV credit) but if the retrofits were either too expensive or impossible to get approved, that would be moot.
Not only that, but the AC charge port is also different, and perhaps even the charger electronics behind it too. Sounds like a very expensive proposition.
Very good point - I was curious as to whether a newer EV might have to jump through fewer hoops for certification than a PHEV or ICE car, but looks to not be the case.
This thread below showed up as recommended reading for me once I posted my initial question - it also had some helpful responses, including from folks who've chimed in here, so thanks, and I probably should have kept using the search tool!

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