Meet the Volkswagen ID.4 Electric SUV
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RURAL Hilights
Meet the Volkswagen ID.4 Electric SUV
After years of consideration,
the cooperative has purchased its
first all-electric vehicle, and the
timing couldn’t have been better.
Battery technology has improved
and driving ranges have increased
substantially. The EV infrastructure
is taking shape and is expanding
across the country. Charging times
have decreased and will get faster
in the future. EVs are getting larger
and can now accommodate the
needs of SUV drivers. Several new
models are available, and prices are
starting to align with gas-powered
vehicles. The $7,500 Federal Tax
Credit is still available, and most EV
models qualify.
RECC chose the ID.4 Pro S,
Volkswagen’s first all-electric SUV
because of its size, range and style.
It was a popular choice and had
to be pre-ordered through the VW
website; look for that to change new vehicle. Rear-wheel-drive was An 82 kWh battery pack pow-
once their Chattanooga, Tenn. selected over AWD because it pro- ers the 201 horsepower engine.
plant starts production in 2022. The vided better range and is currently in The electric motor is located just
online purchase was simple and production. The following informa- above the rear axle and transfers
estimated delivery time was 6-8 tion pertains only to the ID.4 Pro S its torque to a two-stage gearbox.
weeks. We received notifications model that was purchased by the The location is ideal for handling
when our vehicle was being built, cooperative. Details on the Pro and and traction. The electric drive unit
left the factory, and cleared all-wheel-drive models can be found weighs about 200 pounds and could
customs. on vw.com/en/models/id-4.html. fit into a duffle bag. This design frees
There were two rear-wheel- The EPA estimated fuel economy up space inside the car, leaving the
drive models to choose from, the is 104 MPGe for city driving, 89 under-hood area for just the radiator,
Pro for $39,995 and the Pro S for MPGe highway and 97 MPGe com- 12 volt battery, and air conditioning
$44,495. The all-wheel-drive option bined. The term MPGe, or miles per components. The motor is so quiet
added $3,680 but also included a gallon of gasoline equivalent, is an that synthetic sounds were added
hitch and a heated windshield. The EPA calculation that compares con- for pedestrian awareness when driv-
destination charge of $1,195 was sumption energy to traditional gas- ing under 20 mph.
not included in the MSRP price. All powered cars. When compared to The battery weighs 1,087
models would qualify for the $7,500 an average gas vehicle, VW claims pounds and is composed of 288
Federal Tax Credit. the ID.4 can provide up to $3,500 in pouch cells in 12 modules. Its
The Pro S model was chosen estimated fuel cost savings in five underbody position creates a low
because it contained the features years. Hopefully, that can be verified center of gravity and evenly distrib-
that most members prefer in a in the next few years. utes the weight. One-fifth of the
SEPTEMBER 2021 • ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 20A
weight comes from the battery’s The interior has a modern design battery level when plugged into a
aluminum housing, which is bolted and is controlled mostly by touch or charging station.
to the frame to strengthen the voice control but does have a few The interior’s ambient lighting
bodyshell. The extruded frame wraps actual buttons. The driver’s cockpit is can be customized with the choice
around the entire system to prevent located on the steering column and of 30 different colors. The illuminated
battery damage during a collision. A replaces the traditional instrument charging pad allows convenient
separate panel protects the battery cluster. This screen is operated by wireless charging of most handheld
from road hazards below. The flat touch-sensitive steering wheel con- devices. Wireless App-Connect allows
design also eliminates the floor hump trols with haptic feedback. It displays smartphone apps to run directly on
in the rear passenger area. battery power, range, lane assist sta- the vehicle’s display through Apple
The ID.4 is a nimble SUV with a tus and other driving information. The CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink.
turning radius of 33.5 feet. Driving gear selector is a large toggle switch USB-C ports are also available
performance can be customized indi- and is also attached to the steering throughout.
vidually or by use of the Eco, Comfort column. The ID.4 is unusually quiet due to
or Sport presets. Regenerative A 12-inch touchscreen is used for its aero-acoustic design. The pan-
brakes recover energy as the speed is navigation, entertainment, vehicle oramic roof is enormous and allows
decreased and feeds power back into settings and other driver preferences. plenty of light to flow through the
the battery. Menus can be moved using gestures cabin, but the electric sunshade can
The exterior is sleek and the or by the swipe of a hand in front of be closed with the swipe of a finger.
radiator grill is replaced by intake the screen. Many adjustments can The 12-way power seats include ad-
scoops. They funnel air into the car also be made by voice command. justable lumbar, massaging and two
and open electrically when cooling Separate sliders are located below the memory positions. The seats are also
is needed. LED light strips are used display for adjustment of temperature heated, just like the steering wheel,
for running lights and shine through and volume. side mirrors and washer nozzles.
the VW logos. Illuminated door The ID. Light system is a light strip Other convenient features include
handles feature an electric release. that runs below the windshield and keyless entry, proximity access, power
The 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels provides the driver with intuitive tailgate, rain-sensing wipers, dual-
have a flat aerodynamic design with support. It uses various light pulses zone climate control and under-floor
low rolling resistance tires. Aluminum to signal turn instructions, brake storage.
is used to lighten weight and the flat prompts and incoming phone calls. The ID.4 has a 4-year/50,000-mile
underbody reduces drag. The lights will also pulsate to show bumper-to-bumper warranty and the
20B ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • WWW.ICL.COOP
high-voltage battery has coverage for signal turned on. If the driver still tries will slow the vehicle to a gradual stop
8 years/100,000 miles of 70 percent to steer out of the lane, the system in its own lane.
capacity. The Carefree Maintenance will warn with an additional vibration Park Distance Control uses
Program provides 2 years/20,000 of the steering wheel. ultrasonic bumper sensors to monitor
miles of free maintenance. Roadside Rear Traffic Alert warns if a the front and rear of the vehicle when
assistance and free charging are also potential collision is detected while in parking. This feature will not park
included for a limited time. reverse. If the driver does not respond the car, but it does provide guidance
The driver assistance package, to the warning, the brakes may be when driving into tight spaces.
which Volkswagen calls IQ.DRIVE, applied automatically to prevent a Maneuver Braking is a park
provides even more technology. VW collision. distance feature that helps prevent
describes it as, “advanced driver assis- Adaptive Cruise Control uses collisions with stationary obstacles
tance with hands-on semi-automated radar to maintain a safe distance to in the front and rear as the vehicle is
capability.” Most auto manufacturers the vehicle ahead, slow down, or even maneuvered. The brake maneuvering
use similar technology and many of stop if the vehicle in front does. system is active between 1-6 mph.
these features may become standard Lane Keeping System is active If a stationary object is detected, it
in the future. when driving above 40 mph and can apply the brakes automatically to
The ID.4 utilizes a front radar, front system cameras recognize visible lane help prevent a collision.
camera, two rear radars, and eight markings. If certain conditions are Dynamic Road Sign Display uses
ultrasound sensors to collect data met, the lane assist will counter-steer a forward-facing camera to detect
from the surrounding area, enabling to help keep the vehicle in the lane. and read road signs and verifies the
Forward Collision Warning and Travel Assist enables Level 2 information with signage data in the
Autonomous Emergency Braking with partially-automated hands-on driv- onboard navigation, then displays the
Pedestrian Monitoring; Blind Spot ing from 0 to 95 mph by using the speed limit sign for the driver.
Monitor; Rear Traffic Alert; Adaptive steering wheel buttons to activate High Beam Control automatically
Cruise Control; Lane Keeping System; adaptive cruise and lane assist. The switches on the high beams above 37
Travel Assist; and Emergency Assist. In features will help steer, accelerate, mph on poorly lit roads if no oncom-
addition, the ID.4 includes Dynamic and brake while responding to chang- ing traffic detected. Below 18 mph,
Road Sign Display; Park Distance ing traffic conditions. The driver is still the high beams switch off.
Control; and High Beam Control or in control of the vehicle, but mun-
Light Assist. dane driving tasks are made easier. To
Forward Collision Warning is ensure alertness, the system monitors Charging
intended to warn drivers of potential the capacitive steering wheel to make Stations
frontal collisions with vehicles and sure the driver’s hands are in frequent
pedestrians. When traveling above contact with the wheel. The battery charger is part of the
18 mph, it uses both acoustic and Emergency Assist constantly car’s electrical system and can accept
visual warnings to alert before an monitors the driver’s attentiveness a variety of different voltages. The
automatic brake jolt is applied. If the to the steering wheel. If the system charging station or plug-in device
driver fails to brake, Autonomous does not detect driver input, a series determines the type of voltage and
Emergency Braking is activated to of warnings and brake jolts will occur. the amount of power that the car’s
help slow the vehicle. Below 18 mph, If the driver is incapacitated and no charger will receive. There are three
the Autonomous Emergency Braking input is detected, Emergency Assist categories or levels of charging
activates without a warning to avoid a
collision. If the brake pedal is applied
too lightly by the driver, Breaking
Support will increase the brake
C
pressure. H
Blind Spot Monitoring uses two A
radar sensors at the rear of the vehicle R
to scan the approaching traffic. A
warning symbol will flash on the mir-
G
ror housing if a vehicle is detected in I
a blind spot. In certain situations, the N
system will counter-steer to prevent G
a lane change, even with the turn
SEPTEMBER 2021 • ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 20C
3973 W. State Route 104
P.O. Box 19 • Auburn, IL 62615
(217) 438-6197
e-mail: recc@recc.coop
www.recc.coop
Board of Directors
Mel Repscher, Chairman
Chris Wilcox, Vice Chairman
Clayton Bloome, Secretary/Treasurer
Jimmy L. Ayers, Asst. Sec.-Treasurer
Cassie L. Eigenmann stations and charging times can
Andy Goleman range between 30 minutes and
Thomas Hart three days.
Garry Niemeyer Level 1 is the slowest and ideal
Lou Weitekamp for supplemental charging. These
charging units are included with the
President/CEO EV purchase and the cable plugs
David Stuva into a standard 120 volt outlet. It
provides an output of 1.1 kW and
Editor adds 2-3 miles of range per hour.
Jeff Lancaster Level 2 units will fully charge
an EV overnight or in 8-10 hours.
These are recommended for daily
See our web page for monthly
home charging and commonly
Board meeting reports. found in public spaces and parking
lots for office buildings or shop-
RECC will be closed on Monday, ping centers. Level 2 charging sta-
September 6th for Labor Day. tions require 220 volt AC to operate
and will supply 3.3 kW–11 kW and
increase the range by 20-30 miles
Payment Options per hour.
Level 3 is often referred to as
• At our office front desk or outside DC Fast Charging and is the best
drop-box choice for recharging on a road
• Mail to: PO Box 19, Auburn IL trip. The output of a level 3 is 25 kW–350 kW DC and can fully recharge most
62615 batteries within 30 minutes. DC fast-charging stations require three-phase volt-
• Set up recurring bank draft or age, are expensive to install, and somewhat difficult to find in many areas.
credit card payments More than 90 percent of charging is done at home. Costs can be easily
• Online, with Pay Now from our calculated by multiplying the electric
website rate by the kWh used to replenish the
• Use SmartHub portal, online battery. The variable is the number
or mobile app of miles that will be produced by
the fully charged battery, which is
• By phone to our office, using
de-pendent upon driving habits and
credit card or checking account
outside temperatures. If the charger
• By phone using automated uses 1.2 kWh to replenish 3 miles, it
payment (217) 438-6197 would cost less than 5 cents per mile
on RECC's residential rate. Charging
250 miles will be around $12.50.
20D ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • WWW.ICL.COOP
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