As a follow-up to my previous post, this one deals with the ordering process in Canada and a wee bit more.
We drove from the Comox valley down to Nanaimo to pick up Ida and drove her back home late in the afternoon. Our drive back was harrowing and a very good test for our new AWD. The temperature was hovering just above the freezing mark with torrents of rain, super wet roads and night descending quickly. In short, this was the most sure-footed, comfortable driving I've ever had under these conditions.
Coincidentally we had to drive down to Victoria the next morning to pick up a newly adopted little dog, so Ida had another test..... on multiple levels. I won't get into battery range, efficiency and all those details other than to say the vehicle performed as well or better than expected. Our experience with a plugin hybrid had already taught us what to expect from an EV GOM under various severe conditions, so we weren't surprised that the range wasn't going to be the same as a leisurely summer drive.
The trip started out at -3 C, or about 27 F for our American friends, and the roads were icy. The winter tire package we got from the dealer (Continental Viking 7) proved to be excellent for both ice and rain too. One of the reasons I wanted an ID 4 is because the front wheel drive Volt would always spin the front tires on a wet surface. Way too much torque. The ID 4 is a dream in that department too.
It was on the trip home that all the fun began. We realized that we'd have to find a level 3 charger on the way home. I wanted to take advantage of the trip to test both the Charge Point and Electrify Canada charging systems. Charge Point was a bust. Even though I'm a member and had my phone set up to pay, we could not get a charge going. The screen kept "waiting for vehicle". We gave up after 15 minutes when I fellow at another charge station said he'd heard that ID4s were having trouble with Charge Point charging. I did not contact their help desk because we had enough juice to get to the Electrify Canada charge station in Nanaimo. That's where things got even more interesting.
![Wheel Car Land vehicle Tire Vehicle]()
We had trouble getting charged up here and I had to call Electrify Canada. While I was on the phone, a young fellow in this Subaru parked beside us. My partner asked if it was an EV. He said it was and walked away. After getting off the phone I verified that it was an ICE vehicle and that he'd outright lied to my partner.....with a winning smile no less. I did not want to shrug this off and wondered what I could do. Obviously I did not want to resort to verbal violence of any kind. Instead, when he returned I told him I was going to send the picture with his license plate to the RCMP, Canadian Tire (parking lot where EC charger is located), Electrify Canada and the bylaw enforcement for the city of Nanaimo if he did not move the vehicle immediately. His false smile wavered and he reluctantly moved the car. In doing so, he revved the engine loudly and backfired a few times to prove his manhood, but he did move. My partner said she saw him waiting to park there again as we left. What a jerk. So ID forum.....what's the best approach here? I have not sent the photo to anyone yet, but I think I will next week to see what response I get. I know the ICE issue should be in another post on the forum but it's becoming a hot issue in Canada too, so that's why it's here
The final offering I have is that, in addition to setting up Car Net you need to get your
Electrify Canada ID code from the dealer when you get your car too. Without that you are not entitled to the "Premium" free charging on their network. Also, this can only go on one account, so the login will need to be shared if someone else is driving the car and wants to charge free at EC.
That's all I've got. Merry Christmas everyone!
