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Volkswagen ID.3 personal experiences

01/16/2024 An inspection of the battery modules carried out by VW revealed no defects. The new software, version 3.2, was also installed. The car was gone for a little over a day, during which time I got another ID.3 as a rental car. There were no costs for me and I got the car back fully charged. Unfortunately, the software update deleted some settings.

07/02/2022 Due to a recall, major software update and inspection after 2 years, my ID.3 is now spending the weekend in the workshop. As a replacement car I got a VW Taigo, automatic, petrol engine. Compared to an electric car, the driving experience with automatic gearshifting is terrible, the automated shifting brings total unrest to driving. Also, I'd totally forgotten how disgusting gasoline smells at a gas station. Gas cars are a completely outdated, obsolete and harmful technology.

10/07/2022 260 kilometers, mostly country roads, without charging. Battery from 83% to 19% charge level. 64% of 58 kWh are 37.12 kWh for 260 km, respectively 14.28 kWh for 100 km.

03/10/2022 Consumption data for one year:

I've been driving the ID.3 since November 2020, but on March 11, 2021 a major software update was installed, which reset the driving data to 0 except for the total mileage. That's why the consumption data for one year came delayed.

Distance driven: 8145 kilometers
Average speed: 50 km/h
Average consumption at 100 km: 17.1 kWh
Average electricity costs for 100 km: 5.13 €
(30 cents per kWh when charging at home)

Consumption is slightly higher than specified according to WLTP. This is probably due to the winter here, near the Alps.

08/18/2021 Consumption data country road:

Average consumption from 4 times 99 kilometers hilly country road in summer with air conditioning off: about 13.0 kWh / 100 km

04/10/2021 Consumption data long distance:

Kempten - München: 130 km distance, 1 h 47 min travel time, 73 km/h average speed, 15.0 kWh / 100 km consumption
München - Kempten: 130 km distance, 1 h 34 min travel time, 82 km/h average speed, 18.1 kWh / 100 km consumption
The second drive was at slightly lower temperature and higher speed. Additionally, Munich is about 250 meters altitude below the starting point near Kempten.

03/30/2021 what is missing:

unfortunately, the ID.3 gives no message, if the loading cap is left open. This feature would be very helpful.

03/11/2021 software update

the software update was finished on schedule today, I got the ID.3 back cleaned, washed and recharged. In the 2 days the update took, I was given an almost new VW T-ROC with a petrol engine. Once you are used to an electric car, driving with a combustion engine is a huge step backwards in terms of comfort, driving pleasure and of course pollution and feels downright archaic.

03/04/2021 software update

the software update for my ID.3 will installed on Tuesday, March 9th at my VW dealer. For this, 2 days are planned, during which I get a rental car provided.

02/23/2021 even more economical

12/17/2020 Economical driving

at mild temperatures (too warm for that time of year), low heating and predictive driving with recuperation, the ID.3 can be driven very economic. In short distance city traffic, I managed to have a consumption of 12.9 kWh per 100 km.


10°C outside temperature, 8 km at 25 km/h average (with traffic lights).

12/11/2020 Short distance in Winter

at freezing temperatures, a cold car and a short distance in city traffic, the consumption of the ID.3 is very high, up to 35 kWh per 100 kilometers. Which is about twice as much as in normal conditions. Unfortunately, my car hasn't got a heat pump, which probably would help here.
The consumption gets lower, as soon as the car is warm.

11/27/2020 Tour through southern Bavaria, charging at the Ionity fast charging station

On an approximately 350-kilometer tour over country roads, highways and a few remote villages, in partly sunny, partly foggy-cold weather, 17.5 kWh were consumed per 100 kilometers. With winter tires, heating switched on with low temperature.

Charged for the first time on a fast charger, at the Lechwiesen Nord service station on the A96. In fog and cold, the car only charged with a maximum of 43 kW after a long journey, up to 125 kW should be possible. Charged from 37% to 69% in just under half an hour, that's 20 kWh.
Addendum: one week later, same place, at the charging station next to the previous, it charged with 59 kW.


The VW ID.3 at the Ionity fast charging station Lechwiesen Nord.

11/14/2020 first long trip

From Kempten to Balderschwang in the south-western corner of Bavaria and back.

Length: 125 kilometers
Duration: 2.37 hours
Average speed: 47 km/h
Consumption: 17.5 kWh per 100 km

The journey went over the approximately 10 kilometer long Riedbergpass, a pass road over 600 meters height difference. When driving downhill, the car recovered energy very well through recuperation, which explains the low consumption despite winter tires.
A speed of 163 km/h was reached on a short stretch of motorway. The low average speed results from the winding route and a short traffic jam on the way back.


Charging the VW ID.3 in Balderschwang. The charge cable is plugged in on the wrong side of the station.

The very remote Balderschwang has a charging station with two bays. This should be able to charge with 22 kW. The ID.3 here only charged with 5.4 kW.

11/12/2020 The first driving data:

Consumption: 24.7 kWh per 100 kilometers for the first 53 kilometers driven.
With snow tires, heating on, mostly in town with many traffic lights and a few trials, how the car is performing.

Charging: charged from 67 % to 81 % in 3,5 hours at the house socket with the Juice Booster 2 and reduced charging current selected at the car. The battery has a size of 62 kWh, so 14 % are about 8.7 kWh. This gives a charging speed of 2.5 kWh per hour, or a socket power of 2.5 kW.
Unfortunately, the ID.3 shows the battery level not in kWh, but only in percent and in remaining kilometers.

Last change January 17. 2024

No responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information. The articles on this site about electromobility and different electric car models are based on personal experience and on current news. They are not sponsored or supported by the car manufacturers.

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