The Volkswagen ID.3 is one of the electric cars that can boast of being the main vehicle of a household. This is why we subject it to our simulation exercise of long summer and winter trips. Let’s see how it holds up against the others on 850 kilometers of highway.
Traveling around France in an electric car remains a challenge in terms of organization and anticipation. Indeed, even if the various fast charging networks allow many vehicles to carve the road without fear of running out of fuel, it is necessary to know where and how long to stop.
Among the vehicles that can take on the role of adventurer, we have selected the Volkswagen ID.3, which is one of the most capable compacts on paper. We take up the classic instructions of the exercise, namely: departure at 100% battery, arrival at 20%, and cruising speed of 130 km/h on the highway.
We will come back to the characteristics of the Volkswagen ID.3 below, before planning our different trips. Then you will find the summary tables of the different models that have already gone through this exercise, so that you can compare them at a glance. Without further ado, let’s see how the long journeys go in the Volkswagen ID.3.
The characteristics of the Volkswagen ID.3
The model we have chosen today is the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S, with a 77 kWh battery. In the WLTP cycle, the announced autonomy reaches 545 kilometerswhich ensures that you can move around without hindrance.
Of course, in the conditions of our high-speed journeys, one should not expect to be able to cover such a distance in one go. The maximum charging power reaches 135 kW for the ID. 3 Pro S, which doesn’t make her a fast-charging champion.
We will use the different networks available in France to recharge on the road, such as Ionity, Fastned, Totalenergies or the Tesla Superchargers which are open to everyone if necessary.
The essential route planner A Better Route Planner will be used to plan the journeys, with the default reference consumption inherent in the Volkswagen ID. 3 Pro S.
Route planning
Before departure, it is necessary to recharge the vehicle to 100%: we consider that it is necessary to pay 0.17 euro per kilowatt hour at home. The associated cost is therefore 13 euros to fill the 77 kWh of the battery. As for fast charging, we choose to consider the price per kilowatt hour at 0.68 euro on average. Be aware that depending on the operators, the subscriptions and possibly the periods when you recharge, the bill can be more or less steep.
Our two reference journeys aim to simulate, firstly, summer holidays (Orléans – Arcachon) and secondly, winter holidays (Caen – Chamonix-Mont-Blanc). These two journeys of respectively 530 and 850 kilometers put the Volkswagen ID.3 to the test: we’ll see how it does.
For the summer route, the parameters shown in A Better Route Planner are as follows: 25 degrees Celsius outside temperature, no wind, arrival at a charging station with 10% battery remaining and arrival at destination at 20%. For the winter trip, it’s essentially the same, apart from the weather, where we chose a temperature of 0 degrees Celsius.
The balance sheet of the different routes
A large charge is enough to travel more than 500 kilometers
If the WLTP autonomy of the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S is more or less equal to the distance of our summer trip, it is clear thatit is not conceivable to make this trip between Orléans and Arcachon in one go.
Many fast chargers are placed along the route: A Better Route Planner suggests stopping once on a Ionity terminal, for a duration of 44 minutes all the same.
To go from 22 to 86% battery during this charge, the cost is estimated at 33 euros. Adding the starting home load, we get a fare of 46 euros for this summer trip.
As far as consumption is concerned, it is announced at 200 Wh/km, which corresponds to a range of 385 kilometers around.
About an hour and a half charge to cross the country
A long winter trip with very low temperatures puts a strain on the majority of electric cars. Indeed, winter consumption is higher, and depending on the vehicle, fast charging performance may be reduced.
The Volkswagen ID. 3 Pro S requires four charges to arrive at destination with 20% battery on our winter journey. If the first charge is very fast (7 minutes), the next three are more or less half an hour.
On these three large charges, the pattern is recurring: half an hour of charge for an hour and a half of driving. This is the reality of electric travel for many, and it represents a significant charging time for long journeys. The total duration of the charges is estimated at 1 hour and 35 minutes for this trip.
In terms of costs, we estimate them at 92 euros for fast charging, and therefore at 105 euros for the 850 kilometer journey including home charging. With consumption about 10% higher than for the summer route (219 Wh/km according to A Better Route Planner), the autonomy of the ID. 3 Pro S is estimated at 350 kilometers in these winter conditions.
Consumption, cost of recharging and range
With the home charging price of 13 euros, we have summarized the different costs and durations associated with the different charges below. Whether for the summer or winter journey, you will be able to compare the many electric cars that have played the game so far.
| Vehicle | Summer ride cost | Summer ride charging time | Total summer journey time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 Drive | 36 – 49 € | 31 mins | 5 h 09 min |
| Tesla Model 3 Long Autonomy | 31 – 45 € | 13 – 25 mins | 4 hrs 56 mins |
| Kia EV6 58kWh | 52 – 60 € | 38 – 43 mins | 5 hrs 30 mins |
| BMW i4 | 48 – 58 € | 22 – 37 mins | 5 hrs 11 mins |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 72 € | 36 mins | 5 hrs 16 mins |
| Mercedes-Benz EQS | 44 € | 14 mins | 4 hrs 48 mins |
| Tesla Model Y Propulsion | 46 € | 34 mins | 5 hrs 30 mins |
| MG MG4 64 kWh | 66 € | 49 mins | 5h 39min |
| Renault Megane E-Tech EV60 | 67 € | 56 mins | 5h 40 mins |
| Kia EV6 77kWh | 56 € | 26 mins | 5 h 07 min |
| Hyundai Kona 64kWh | 61 € | 58 mins | 5 hrs 47 mins |
| Peugeot e-208 | 73 € | 1 hr 13 mins | 6 h 09 min |
| Tesla Model S Poster | 46 € | 14 mins | 4 hrs 52 mins |
| Tesla Model S | 34 € | 9 mins | 4 hrs 47 mins |
| Skoda Enyaq iV 80 | 51 € | 27 mins | 5 h 01 min |
| Skoda Enyaq iV Coupe 60 | 58 € | 42 mins | 5 hrs 19 mins |
| Volkswagen ID. Buzz | 82 € | 48 mins | 5 hrs 37 mins |
| MG MG5 | 55 € | 1 hr 03 mins | 5 hrs 40 mins |
| Porsche Taycan | 61 € | 19 mins | 4 hrs 51 mins |
| Mercedes EQE 300 | 43 € | 23 mins | 4 hrs 54 mins |
| Cupra Born VZ XL | 48 € | 33 mins | 5 hrs 05 mins |
| Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S | 46 € | 44 mins | 5 hrs 16 mins |
| Vehicle | Winter trip cost | Winter ride charging time | Total winter journey time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 Drive | 102 € | 1 hr 42 mins | 9:16 a.m. |
| Tesla Model 3 Long Autonomy | 101.3 € | 1 hr 02 mins | 8:27 a.m. |
| Kia EV6 58kWh | 120 € | 1hr 54mins | 9 h 59 min |
| BMW i4 | 147 € | 1 hr 32 mins | 9 h 08 min |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 145 € | 1 hr 29 mins | 9:14 a.m. |
| Mercedes-Benz EQS | 115 € | 50 mins | 8 h 03 min |
| Tesla Model Y Propulsion | 120 € | 1 hr 46 mins | 9 h 42 min |
| MG MG4 | 109 – 141 € | 2 hrs 23 mins | 10 h 02 min |
| Renault Megane E-Tech EV60 | 104 – 139 € | 2 hrs 12 mins | 9 h 49 min |
| Kia EV6 77kWh | 143 € | 1 hr 14 mins | 8 hrs 54 mins |
| Hyundai Kona 64kWh | 98 – 132 € | 2 hrs 24 mins | 10 h 01 min |
| Peugeot e-208 | 168 € | 2 hrs 49 mins | 10 h 59 min |
| Tesla Model S Poster | 104 € | 42 mins | 8 h 05 min |
| Tesla Model S | 88 € | 33 mins | 7 hrs 55 mins |
| Skoda Enyaq iV 80 | 113 € | 1 hr 18 mins | 8:33 a.m. |
| Skoda Enyaq iV Coupe 60 | 118 € | 1 hr 46 mins | 9 h 04 min |
| Volkswagen ID. Buzz | 182 € | 2 hrs 04 mins | 9 h 41 min |
| MG MG5 | 122 € | 2 hrs 36 mins | 10 h 01 min |
| Porsche Taycan | 146 € | 58 mins | 8 h 05 min |
| Mercedes EQE 300 | 112 € | 1 hr 09 mins | 8:32 a.m. |
| Cupra Born VZ XL | 108 € | 1 hr 41 mins | 9 h 06 min |
| Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S | 105 € | 1 hr 35 mins | 8 hrs 58 mins |
Thanks to the density of fast chargers, traveling in ID.3 is not a problem
With its 77 kWh battery, the Volkswagen ID. 3 Pro S can be a good option to cross France, as we have seen. However, in terms of charging time, how does it stack up against the competition?
On the summer trip, with nearly 45 minutes of charge, the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S is not one of the good students. With a smaller battery, the Tesla Model 3 Propulsion or Tesla Model Y Propulsion are two less expensive options today that can carve the road faster. The same goes for the Kia EV6 77 kWh or Hyundai Ioniq 5, although the latter two cost more in fast charging due to their higher consumption.
Indeed, the Volkswagen ID. 3 Pro S remains relatively inexpensive on long trips thanks to its overall reasonable consumption. The summer trip has a total cost of 8.70 euros per 100 kilometers, and the winter one 12.40 euros per 100 kilometers. It’s broadly on par with the Tesla Model 3 in winter, and much cheaper than other compacts like the Peugeot e-208 or the Renault Mégane E-Tech EV60.
Thus, even two and a half years after its release in France, the Volkswagen ID. 3 Pro S remains an electric vehicle that remains interesting. It is quite capable of taking on the role of a household’s first vehicle, but with the current price of its competitors, the Tesla Model 3 Propulsion or the Tesla Model Y Propulsion, it is difficult to justify its purchase.
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