Going back to the original thread topic:
https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/press-releases/world-premiere-of-the-id-2all-concept-the-electric-car-from-volkswagen-costing-less-than-25000-euros-15625
It’s a hell of a lot more desirable to me than the hideous id2 life concept of 2021.
I’m liking it a lot and ticking a lot of boxes. I think the rear light band is reminiscent of Seat Ibiza circa 05-09
(Was Andreas Mindt ever designer at SEAT).
If they can get it all together and at the right price point, they might have a sale (with me).
Congrats to @Monkeyhanger on your S3. I look forward to your ownership experience after all your other reviews on your cars ( but I did miss the change from ID3 to Cupra (again interesting reviews on themj
Some of those spec figures seem pie in the sky unless VAG has some radical new battery tech up their sleeve that we don't know about yet which is a lot lighter than the current crop and with hugely improved charging.
The 295 mile (450km) range is dependent hugely on ambient temp and average speed. The trouble with EV range is, you need balls of steel to drive one of these cars to under 10% range on the motorway. Petrol and diesel pumps are everywhere, you will never fail to find one of those available and working within 5 miles of anywhere in the country, save for some really remote parts of Scotland. With an EV though, you might have a 30 min wait at the next charger, or it might be out of service and you have to move to the next one as your already tiny remaining charge diminishes.
Charging 10% to 80% in 20 minutes? In theory my 125kW charging speed Cupra Born does that, but it's impossible to achieve. You will never max out on 125kW charging rate from 10 - 80%, not going to happen. To get close to 100kW charging speed, you'll need a warm battery, warmer than 70mph cruising for 2 hours will do on all but the hottest of days, and you won't get it for 10 - 80% either, more like 10 to 60% on a really hot day after giving the car the beans for 20 mins. in reality, it's more like 40 mins to do 10-80%, and you'll probably spend 5 mins getting off the motorway, navigating the large motorway services and finding the charger/s in the farthest corner of the services. my most recent experiences are that the chargers will be occupied when you get there just over half the time if you charge between 8am and 6pm.
For a VAG BEV rated at 260 miles WLTP range (like the ID3/Born with 58kWh battery pack), you might get that driving like a nun, not exceeding 40mph, on a hot day. Sit at 70mph on the motorway, that's more like 200 miles from 100% to 10%, on a Summer's day, 180 miles at 10C ambient, with no cabin heating, or about 140 miles at 0C with heating on to maintain 16C cabin temp.
Looks a nice car though -although most concept cars look far better than the production model.
FWD is an interesting choice, the Born and ID3 are RWD and they're great with it. The FWD e-Golf is horrible in comparison and tramps like a bastard at the lightest of throttle loads.
Although great within range, to charge at home cheaply (if you have a driveway), BEVs won't really be compromise free as long range motorway cruisers until they can do 300 motorway miles in the Winter and truly (not "in theory") charge in 10 mins from 10% to 80%. We'd also need at least 2x as many chargers as there are fuel pumps in every motorway services currently. The "have nots" (no way of having a home charger e.g. Victorian Terrace, Flat, renter with no landlord permission to fit a charger) will end up paying more per mile than the haves - not sure how the government will even that score out.
Right now there's cheaper battery tech out there "LFP", with little to no dirty and expensive cobalt and nickel, but they're less energy dense than the NMC type used routinely, so you get heavier cars or fewer cells and shorter range.
BEVs still have a long way to go before they suit everyone, without even considering price. Could VW make this ID2 and sell it for less than 25k Euros, with a decent profit right now with the specs touted there? I seriously doubt it unless they ditch European labour and go to China, paying peanuts for the workforce and using Chinese Government heavily subsidised steel and batteries.
My Born is great to drive, but the charging experience away from home is truly awful and expensive.
