[racurrie]

welcome anyone's thoughts on these items:
1) why no options in ID.4 battery size?
2) why no inverter and 110v outlet in trunk?
3) why no heat pump in US models?
4) why trailer hitch is not 2"?
5) is there a wiring harness for trailer hitch included in AWD model to connect trailer lights?
6) can trailer with brakes be connected to wiring harness?

 

[RRV22]

If you are considering purchasing a VW EV, or any other EV,
you should absolutely read the front page story about VW and its software problems in this morning’s Wall Street Journal.

 

[RRV22]

Read the comments too...

 

[racurrie]

If you are considering purchasing a VW EV, or any other EV,
you should absolutely read the front page story about VW and its software problems in this morning’s Wall Street Journal.

If you are considering purchasing a VW EV, or any other EV,
you should absolutely read the front page story about VW and its software problems in this morning’s Wall Street Journal.

could you post the wsj article on the forum?

 

[mmcbtx]

could you post the wsj article on the forum?

I made the mistake of viewing the forum while not logged in, so my ignore settings weren't present. I'd suggest ignoring this bit of fear-mongering.

I don't have an account, so I can't read the full article, but the lede only details well known historical issues that VW had with the software that we all have reason to expect have been resolved prior to the ID.4 launch (because they're basically resolved for the ID.3 that was the focus of the article, and because European ID.4 owners don't seem to be posting such complaints).

 

[Huey52]

I've read/viewed that a smaller battery is coming as part of a lower cost model in 2022.
There's a 12VDC port but no built-in inverter. I've had a small portable 12VDC->110VAC inverter kicking around for years and rarely used but I know others who do more camping etc. have more need for same.
Heat pump, or lack thereof, is well discussed elsewhere in this forum.
I don't even want the trailer hitch socket that comes with the FE, but again understand others may have more need.
As Summer-Fall for the AWD in the US we don't have those harness details. At least I've not seen them. It's reasonable to assume the harness would be there however.

welcome anyone's thoughts on these items:
1) why no options in ID.4 battery size?
2) why no inverter and 110v outlet in trunk?
3) why no heat pump in US models?
4) why trailer hitch is not 2"?
5) is there a wiring harness for trailer hitch included in AWD model to connect trailer lights?
6) can trailer with brakes be connected to wiring harness?

 

[FredT]

welcome anyone's thoughts on these items:
1) why no options in ID.4 battery size?
2) why no inverter and 110v outlet in trunk?
3) why no heat pump in US models?
4) why trailer hitch is not 2"?
5) is there a wiring harness for trailer hitch included in AWD model to connect trailer lights?
6) can trailer with brakes be connected to wiring harness?

The answer to 1-4 is simple: cost and simplicity. VW wanted a reasonably priced car without having to deal with an extensive set of options. I think that once Chattanooga is in operation there will be more choices, but for this first model year they are limited.

 

[Bob K]

welcome anyone's thoughts on these items:
1) why no options in ID.4 battery size?
2) why no inverter and 110v outlet in trunk?
3) why no heat pump in US models?
4) why trailer hitch is not 2"?
5) is there a wiring harness for trailer hitch included in AWD model to connect trailer lights?
6) can trailer with brakes be connected to wiring harness?

 

[RRV22]

I tried downloading the WSJ article and attaching it, but it wouldn't let me do that. But...if you google VW WSJ article you can find and read the full WSJ article there. I recommend reading it...knowledge is always a good thing, especially when considering an EV purchase, or anything else for that matter.

 

[ixlr08]

I tried downloading the WSJ article and attaching it, but it wouldn't let me do that. But...if you google VW WSJ article you can find and read the full WSJ article there. I recommend reading it...knowledge is always a good thing, especially when considering an EV purchase, or anything else for that matter.

Nope, that only gets you the first few paragraphs. Needed to sign in or subscribe to read the entire article.

 

[Chipster]

From the wonders of the internet... Here you are: https://www.macheforum.com/site/att...-to-beat-tesla-short-circuited-wsj-pdf.13135/

 

[FredT]

From the wonders of the internet... Here you are: https://www.macheforum.com/site/attachments/how-volkswagen’s-50-billion-plan-to-beat-tesla-short-circuited-wsj-pdf.13135/

Thanks. Bottom line: nothing to see here. Everyone knows that the ID.3 rollout was a disaster because of the software. And it has carried over to the ID.4. But it is improving, and every new review shows it getting better. If it is not polished and running completely smoothly by the time cars start showing up in spring, then I will bail. But for now I'm confident that VW will get it working.

 

[ixlr08]

From the wonders of the internet... Here you are: https://www.macheforum.com/site/attachments/how-volkswagen’s-50-billion-plan-to-beat-tesla-short-circuited-wsj-pdf.13135/

Thanks for this link, although 90% of the info presented is already available on this site so nothing really new.

 

[RRV22]

Sorry about that...I'll keep working on getting the full article up if I can. Hope you are able to read it somewhere. Basically, one of the strong points of the article is that VW's management and engineering teams went from one of designing internal combustion engine autos over a lifetime to one which suddenly designs and engineers autos run by software...like the difference between a gas driven lawn mower and an iPhone. Its just a huge corporate/manufacturing/marketing shift in thinking about a product.
I've owned several VW autos over the years...all fine machines(and one was a TDI), and I currently own two VWs, a'19 VW Atlas SEL and a '19 GTI. I'm not yet convinced about the EV, and I don't have home charging availability which is a negative. If I were to have one it would only be by a 3yr lease. I will not purchase.

 

[RRV22]

I don't know why you can't pull up the full article. I redid a google search "VW WSJ article". Then I clicked on "VW 50 billion dollar...". The full article can be read there.

 

[emtonsti]

I found Kyle's review far more informative to my decision to buy than a story about VW management - Volkswagen ID.4 First Drive: Kyle Conner Takes Us For A Ride

 

[ixlr08]

I don't know why you can't pull up the full article. I redid a google search "VW WSJ article". Then I clicked on "VW 50 billion dollar...". The full article can be read there.

Do you subscribe to WSJ? I don't and it won't let me see more than a few paragraphs. Chipster posted a PDF of the full article so I was able to read it. Nothing really new in it.

 

[RRV22]

Yes, I subscribe to WSJ, and I got a lot of detailed information from that independent critique as well as from the mostly independent reader comments which followed. You don't get much of an independent unbiased opinion on this forum... its pretty biased...FWIW.

 

[emtonsti]

Yes, I subscribe to WSJ, and I got a lot of detailed information from that independent critique as well as from the mostly independent reader comments which followed. You don't get much of an independent unbiased opinion on this forum... its pretty biased...FWIW.

If you read through many months of posts, you can find hundreds of posts discussing the pros and cons of various features, especially the presence or lack of a heat pump. You will find many discussions of the merits of Mach-E and MY vs. ID.4, with passing references to others including Audi, Porche, Mercedes, etc.

Otherwise, many or most of us have decided to try the ID.4, and are so biased, just like Tesla forums tend to be biased to Tesla models, and the Mach-E forum where you find the copy of the negative WSJ article, the Mach-E forum is very biased towards Mach-E, including over ID.4. For our needs, the ID.4 is better for most of us (for many of us, it is for sure a close call, I just came back from Mach-E).

Pros and Cons have been welcome, and even discussions about VW management are not uninteresting, but there is a very fine line between unbiased discussion and trolling. Of course the ID.4 forum is somewhat biased towards ID.4! Many of us are waiting with some excitement for our new rides!

 

[Chipster]

...Pros and Cons have been welcome, and even discussions about VW management are not uninteresting, but there is a very fine line between unbiased discussion and trolling. Of course the ID.4 forum is somewhat biased towards ID.4! Many of us are waiting with some excitement for our new rides!

I for one would hate this forum to turn into a ID.4 Kool Aid drinking society chanting that VW can do no wrong. That fact is that you early owners are going to suffer problems. To me that's a given. The more important thing is that VW rights the wrongs and that we forum members "Keep it real" in our reporting. Call a spade a spade and we all will be better off.