That would be nice, wouldn't it?
Here's hoping VW puts someone with a functioning brain on making the navigation/POI interface useful.

 

How about just making many of the features actually useful, intuitive etc. I love my ID.4, but some of the stuff that was initially done just seems like it's more to create an appeal than it is for actual functionality, RE Car net. The only thing you can do from it is turn on the climate control, it blows my mind that the car can't even be locked from the app... it's one of the most basic functions that I think most cars have thenability to do... but not the ID.4...

 

The built in nav on the ID.4 doesn't do those things. Use A Better Route Planner which does the same route planning Tesla does. Use ABRP to plan your route and punch the next destination into the ID.4 nav.

 

The built in nav actually somewhat does, but not to the degree of ABRP. If you enter a route and let's say it's a 400 mile trip. It will (assuming you haven't disabled the feature..) automatically add a charging stop based on your current battery and total mileage. HOWEVER, the charging stop ends up being whatever is closest on your route relative to when the nav system estimates you need to charge. It doesn't allow you to choose the charging station (unless you manually enter it), and so what happens is it may not add a fast charger and will take you to a level 2 charger which would just be unrealistic if it's not your final destination. You can't filter to specifically use EA or even DC fast chargers so it is essentially useless to have it plan one for you and you're better off either using a different nav app, or adding in the stop manually.

I agree though, use something like ABRP to plan out your route is much more intuitive, auto selects ea chargers if you've entered that you're driving an ID.4 and can be sent to Google maps (and others).

I love my ID.4. It's my first EV, my experience has been great thus-far and I'm never going back to gas. All of that being said, there are just some things that VW has done (or has yet to do) that just have me scratching my head asking why? Its little minor things that I don't think would take much effort to deep and or implement that would just make it so much better,, re.carnet. It's a joke as others have said. I wish that VW would do something about the Nav system to make it actually useful. I.e., allow user's to filter based on charger type/speed. By that I mean add the ability to only use EA chargers because we all have 3 free years of charging and unless an EA charger isn't around and I'm not home, I'm only going to use them... The other downside is the color/clutter of the map on the built in nav. IMO it can be hard to differentiate various things because of the lack of contrast in colors and everything else that's on the map.

I also really like the light near the base of the windshield that lights up baaed on the direction you're supposed to turn. The feature I like the most is on the dash were you can see your estimated range, speed, acc/travel assist lines, mini nav, etc.(or is it called a HUD?). When you get to the next turn or step, it will show you a picture of the sign, an image of the lanes and the lane you need to be in (IMO, it's much better than Googles lane display).

Here's to hoping!

 

The short answer is no to all if you are using the native tools.
However, since CarPlay and Android Auto are so well implemented you can use A Better Route Planner, or even the EA apps to plan and track your route. Short of preheating the battery, it will cover all items you mentioned. I believe nobody has found that you need to let the car know that you will DC fast charge to get the 125 kW charge rate at low enough state of charge, so that point is sort of moot.

In our ID4 I never use the native maps and routing, nor many of its other native features other than car status, and rely on CarPlay almost exclusively.

 

Thanks for the pointer to ABRP. Is it me, or does it seem to not have an up-to-date listing of charging stations? For example I know there are a few stations within a few miles of my Brother-in-law's house, but ABRP doesn't show them. Is there a setting that I may have wrong? In this case the charger is an EA charger.

 

I agree with everyone mentioning apps that CAN do much of what the Tesla does natively and I was aware of those apps. I guess my point was after driving the Tesla and seeing what it can do I started thinking the ID4 could/should do some of those things as well. Especially for new owners who may not know about the apps and/or to help win over those shopping for an EV.

Don't even get me started on the Car Net app. It is a joke at best and when you compare it with all Tesla's app can do you will want to cry.

To be clear my wife and I are long time VW group car owners and we absolutely LOVE our ID4. I am not hating on ID4 nor am I a Tesla fan-boy. That said, after driving many thousands of miles in my friends Tesla I am rooting for VW to do better in these areas where they could definitely use improvement.

 

Totally agree. Fantastic car, but please give us some improved software with regular updates. It’s just that that’s such a new ask for the worlds largest automaker who for decades has delivered cars then stopped thinking about them unless they need service…

 

You mean I can’t use car-net to summon the car to me. 😂

 

Is there a way to get the ID4 to display ONLY Electrify America chargers? Whenever I have tried to bring up chargers in the Nav I am faced with a list of dozens of nearby slow speed public/pay chargers to sort through to locate the EA charger.

Yes, at least with Apple CarPlay. Using the Electrify America app on the iPhone, bring it up on CarPlay. Go to settings and you can adjust, using a filter, which stations you want to show on the map.

 

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I am well aware of the various charging/route apps and Apple Car Play. The question was will the ID4 do this natively? And if not, then why not? It certainly could and should.

 

I was first time ev buyer and I rely on Apple CarPlay so much I was disappointed Tesla did not integrate it to the system. But as I learned how well it works with ID4 it was definitely a selling point. With that said electrify America’s app in CarPlay work well with routing your trip and works very well with apples own maps.
I could have gone with Tesla for my first electric but they are just all over socal and now hertz is using them as rentals. I just want something different but familiar at the same time.

 

I rely on Apple CarPlay so much I was disappointed Tesla did not integrate it to the system. But as I learned how well it works with ID4 it was definitely a selling point.

One could say the lack of CarPlay and Android Auto support by Tesla is a detriment. My gut says that in the long run the mobile OS companies will keep the upper hand in car infotainment, because 1) we use our phones so much and know them extremely well and 2) Apple and Google are really good at what they do. It’s hard even for Tesla to match that.

 

Just finished a road trip from Phoenix to Kansas City and back with a friend and his Tesla Model 3 performance. This leads me to ask a few questions about the info displayed by the ID4.

- Is there a way to see projected remaining miles/charge at a destination or multiple destinations along a route or at chargers? The Tesla interface does this and we found it extremely useful on the trip. Made Supercharging stress free with no worries along the route.

- Is there a way to get the ID4 to display ONLY Electrify America chargers? Whenever I have tried to bring up chargers in the Nav I am faced with a list of dozens of nearby slow speed public/pay chargers to sort through to locate the EA charger.

- The Tesla knows when you are about 30 miles away from a Supercharger you will be using and will pre-condition the battery for fast charging. Do our cars do this? Do they need to? Is there a way to initiate it?

I may have more questions for those who have owned their ID4's for a while and have more experience but these are the things that really jumped out at me during the road trip with the Tesla which could be useful for us as well.

Just search in the navi system for
150kw
That brings up mainly EA

 

New App for Electric Vehicles Finds, Controls and Pays for Charging

Volkswagen’s electric vehicle is supported by a new app that helps owners manage charging and other functions.

www.pymnts.com

If read……it’s coming.
It will be here when it’s here.

 

This article is a shining example of phone-it-in trade journalism. They mention We-Connect as if it's the App everyone who buys a VW gets as their vehicle interface, even though it's not available in the US. Then they switch to talking about Car-Net without another mention of We-Connect. And they list functions that Car-Net does NOT include while saying it does. What I want to know is why did we in the US get a hobbled Car-Net instead of We-Connect? The fact that ID.4 owners in other countries get a functioning We-Connect App with expected features and the US customers don't is curious. Is this all about manufacturing chip shortages and software incompatibilities? Or did they just decide to short US customers because someone in marketing said it's too hard for Americans to understand?

 

Another issue with the navigation system is that it’s often way too detailed. Do I really care whether there is congestion 3 miles off my route? This isn’t even the worst screen I’ve seen. Sometimes it’s hard to identify the route within all that clutter. It does reliably know when roads are closed though, probably better than Google maps.

 

Be reminded that you can selectively turn off some detail.

Another issue with the navigation system is that it’s often way too detailed. Do I really care whether there is congestion 3 miles off my route? This isn’t even the worst screen I’ve seen. Sometimes it’s hard to identify the route within all that clutter. It does reliably know when roads are closed though, probably better than Google maps.

 

I've heard from the Europeans that We-Connect is just as shitty as Car-Net - they both equally suck. It's just that Car-Net is controlled by VWoA instead of VWAG (probably for greater regional control). That said, I'm not sure if VWoA actually has a state-side software team working on Car-Net - I kind of doubt it. This is all probably developed by CARIAD but VWoA gets to control the feature set of Car-Net more than they would if they just adopted We-Connect.

 

That said, I'm not sure if VWoA actually has a state-side software team working on Car-Net - I kind of doubt it.

According to the very helpful customer service representative I spoke to, the “new” (post-2020 model year) Car Net is developed and delivered entirely by Bosch… a company better known for auto parts than software, I suppose. They do deliver minor app updates periodically but don’t seem to have any major changes on the roadmap…

 

Made Supercharging stress free with no worries along the route.

Yup. There's zero range anxiety when driving a Tesla. Hopefully all EVs will be like this in 5-10 years but we are a long way from it.

- Is there a way to get the ID4 to display ONLY Electrify America chargers? Whenever I have tried to bring up chargers in the Nav I am faced with a list of dozens of nearby slow speed public/pay chargers to sort through to locate the EA charger.

No. The built-in navigation system is terrible and folks just use CarPlay/AndroidAuto with Google or "A Better Route Planner" or PlugShare.

And even the excellent ABRP is still crap. The Tesla navigation knows your current SoC and knows the availability (and prices) of the destination superchargers. ARBP doesn't have access to EVGo, EA, FPL Evolution, Blink, Volta, etc. live data. There should be a government law that forces the chargers to expose this data.

- The Tesla knows when you are about 30 miles away from a Supercharger you will be using and will pre-condition the battery for fast charging. Do our cars do this? Do they need to? Is there a way to initiate it?

No cars other than Teslas do this that I know. They all should but the problem is they don't know you are driving to a charger and also... these third party navigation apps can't send a signal to the EV to start preconditioning. Pre-conditioning is best for colder climates (although with hot climates you could argue the battery needs to be chilled) to optimize charging speeds. I don't think it is necessary in all climates.

I feel Ford, GM, VW, etc. should all form a group and develop common navigation software to compete with Tesla. Software is hard. It will take 3+ years probably (I'm guessing 5) to integrate all EVs and types of chargers and run on multiple hardware systems. In the short time I've owned a Model Y, I've gotten 2 major OTA updates (one of them is a live Sentry feed). VW of America has yet to release one for the ID.4 in the 8+ months it's been out. Same with Ford and the Mach-E (which I have an order for). My guess is because they have too many pieces of hardware that need firmware updates instead of the centralized singular ones used by Tesla.

 

I feel Ford, GM, VW, etc. should all form a group and develop common navigation software to compete with Tesla. Software is hard. It will take 3+ years probably (I'm guessing 5) to integrate all EVs and types of chargers and run on multiple hardware systems. In the short time I've owned a Model Y, I've gotten 2 major OTA updates (one of them is a live Sentry feed). VW of America has yet to release one for the ID.4 in the 8+ months it's been out. Same with Ford and the Mach-E (which I have an order for). My guess is because they have too many pieces of hardware that need firmware updates instead of the centralized singular ones used by Tesla.

Oh how I wish they would do this, but truthfully, I'm not hopeful it will ever happen. They're all businesses trying to maximize profits, and sharing something like software that we will eventually all have to pay to update and/or use just doesn’t seem like a realistic approach for them to take.

I'll stay hopeful, but I'm not confident it will ever happen even though from a logical standpoint it absolutely makes sense 🙄.

 

I don’t get people wondering how they will ever find the EA station without it coming up on the Nav. There are hardly any of them so I just know in advance where I am going and where there is an EA charger or just open the EA app and put the address into the Nav or use Apple or Android play. It is not like you are searching for a Shell station in the neighborhood. There is only 0, 1, or maybe 2 EA stations in any large area. But I do look forward to the 3.0 OTA update coming in hopefully a couple months to smooth out a lot of little things.

 

...There is only 0, 1, or maybe 2 EA stations in any large area. ...

Just sayin'...

 

Really? But aren’t most of those “coming soon?” That is how it is in Socal with a ton less to begin with than that.

Edit- Actually I just looked and it is only San Diego county getting the shaft! As far as anywhere near the I 5 there are only 2 by metropolitan San Diego, 1 in Carlsbad, and the new “Kia-Polestar fight” Walmart charger in Oceanside.

 

I didn't realize the O'side Walmart was the venue for that battle. 😂

I live in north county. There are 3 that I have used. The O'side Walmart station, The Target in Vista off Palomar, and the outlet mall. There is a 4th off 78 on Shadowridge in Vista that I have never used.

There does seem to be quite a few "Coming Soon" locations in San Diego

 

Large urban areas oftentimes have more options. Where we are, the nearest one is 90 miles away. Which is still adequate for road trips to the north. Heading south, it is harder - I would want to reach I-95, but there is no EA in Virginia Beach (one in Hampton Roads, that is a bit out of the way).

Coastal communities in the Carolinas have nothing either - not much east of I-95 at all.

 

I think by the time you take delivery of your ID.4 @wildpitcher this factory nav omission will be pretty well sorted and the car will be suggesting it as a stop based on your destination and state of charge.

 

Reading this thread is depressing. We are in exactly the same spot as October '21. Which was exactly the same spot as February '21. No more excuses for VW. They built a reasonable traditional car with an electric powertrain. It is not a Tesla competitor in any way. Aside from a plug, it's not even as capable with software as other, gasoline-driven Volkswagen's. They will not catch up to Tesla, likely ever. Maybe they don't need to. I'll wave on my way to the next Supercharger -- but I'm out.

 

It's not my job to say anything -- I wish you serenity with your next car -- but that sure seems like a glass half empty sort of take on all of this. But then again, you sold a Mustang Mach-E to buy the ID.4 (which I recall you posted for sale recently) so is it safe to say you're simply on the prowl for the next big thrill? I know I fight that urge sometime, but try not to do it with cars.

See... where you see "depressing," I see hope. You say VW will not catch up with Tesla, but every sign VW has given off this past year is they are all in on Electrification, retrenching and bringing the software side of things in house -- I get this energetic start-up sort of vibe from an old company making big, bold moves to reinvent itself, and it's fun being along for the ride, without all the risk of owning a car from a real start-up.

And put that in the context of the ID.4, which while true -- we haven't received any updates yet -- it's a solid, capable, reliable car that has been a pleasure to own for the past year.

So what has changed since February of '21? No deliverables, ok, yeah, but we've seen the AWD roll out, we saw a European campaign proving the OTA works, we've got pretty good intel that the 12v battery update and 3.1 software are close at hand, we're told through official channels that our '21s will get some hand-me-down features from the '22s, and perhaps most importantly, we haven't seen any widespread service campaigns or major disasters resulting in what seems to be a majority of happy owners (exceptions of course and the usual grousing about the glacial speed of our first update).

It kind of gets me that "nothing's changed" is depressing enough to sell the car when the car is pretty alright to begin with, and we're >>this close<< to finally getting some fruit off this vine.

 

Did you just say the BMW 328 does O-60 mph in 3.1seconds? Actually it takes about twice as long, 5.7 seconds.
Edit-The Tesla also is a “ Model 3.” Maybe wrong Model 3?

 

Did you just say the BMW 328 does O-60 mph in 3.1seconds? Actually it takes about twice as long, 5.7 seconds. Any more sage advice on things with wheels?

"The Model 3 Performance may not be perfect, either, but the 3.1 second 0-60 will have me giggling enough to not notice."

Tesla Model 3 is my reading, not 328...

 

Oh I am a BMW guy so it didn’t register.😂

 

All you mentioned are "would be nice" to have features. And everyone should know that before ordering ID4.

If you don't care about build and ride quality, only convenient charging, and are less nervous about finding chargers, get a Tesla.
I prefer to get a better-built vehicle first, that's why I chose ID4 over tesla. For ID, you probably need to use a few apps such as ABRP, EA, PlugShare and cross-reference them to plan your trip at least just for now.

 

...For ID, you probably need to use a few apps such as ABRP, EA, PlugShare and cross-reference them to plan your trip at least just for now.

Lol, you make that sound like the "old" way of cross-country nav with a paper Sectional chart, an aviation plotter, a cardboard E6B, a paper flight planner / waypoint form clipped to a knee board, an AFD in the flight bag, and a red-lensed MAG flashlight strapped to the headset.

Nowadays everyone's all "GPS and iPad let's go!"

 

Road trip navigation is easy, just follow the numbered route system. The problem is finding a specific store in a strip mall.