There are 2 main versions of the new all electric ID4 from Volkswagon; the 200hp rear wheel drive version, and the more lively 300hp (all wheel drive) model featured in this video.

A month ago I drove the 200hp ID4 and I really liked how it handled, the acceleration, and how silky smooth it felt on the highway at 80+ MPH.

The all wheel drive ID4 with 300hp will be even better, no doubt.

I’ve been driving a Chevy Volt for the last 5 years (had a 2013, then a 2017 model) with over 150,000 miles driven in that time. About 30% of the miles driven in my Volt were electric only.

As a shareholding partner at Tampa Bay Solar I don’t believe in spending any of my future dollars on anything that burns fossil fuel, especially now that there are so many electric vehicles out in the marketplace…. and my roof (sunshine) fuels my electric car.

My actions are congruent with my beliefs, which is why I have a solar array on the roof of my home, a solar hot water heater, and a plug-in electric Chevy Volt.

My Volt has an 18 kWh (kilowatt hour) battery that gets about 45 miles on full electric before the gas motor kicks in. When running on GAS the Volt is louder, and not as smooth. In many ways the Volt is a strange compromise that straddles both old and new technology.

If I buy the ID4 I’m keeping my Volt for work, especially the rare days when I drive over 300 miles.

I’ve closed solar deals all over central Florida. Once in a while I have a 300 mile day.

The 300hp Volkswagon ID4 gets 240 miles per charge, with an 82 kWh battery.

With the low maintenance and long life of electric vehicles the ID4 is the type of vehicle I could drive for many years, especially if I use my Volt for work.

I can charge BOTH vehicles at my home, using the solar array on my roof.

I might need to add a few more 420 watt panels, which is easy enough to do.

With a 240 mile range the ID4 will be perfectly fine 99% of the time. New ID4 owners get three years of free access to the Electrify America fast charging network, so If I need to drive further I can access this feature.

Electrify America is adding 10,000 chargers to their existing network of 2500 chargers that exist today.

Most of the time when I travel I’m taking a flight somewhere and renting a car.

I drove to Pittsburgh in July in my Volt…. about 1,000 miles from here to there… and I wish I had flown!

I’ve also been kicking around the idea of buying the all electric F150 Lightning… but I don’t need a huge vehicle like that. They Lightning looks cool, but I really like how the ID4 drives, even the slow version.

So, why pay a few grand extra for the 300hp Volkswagon vs. the slower version?

The 300hp ID4 goes from 0 to 60mph in only 5.5 seconds. Am I going to drive that fast all the time? Probably not… but any reader of this blog knows about my motorcycling proclivities, and that rush of speed is just FUN, whether I’m in an SUV or in the open air on a crotch rocket.

I also like the build quality that Volkswagon brings to the table; the ID4 that I test drove was as tight as a drum and felt planted to the road. The competing Tesla doesn’t have the same road feel. Driving a Tesla feels like driving a laptop with wheels and a motor, the ID4 feels like a real car.

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My other reason for NOT buying a Tesla is that I don’t want to advertise for a solar competitor, and Tesla installs solar here in Tampa, albeit with a slew of consumer complaints.

I have a ton of respect for what Elon Musk has done with SpaceX and Tesla Motors, but Tesla Solar has really dropped the ball lately…

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In terms of getting the ID4 I’m in no rush, my Volt has 99,000 miles on it, so I might wait a bit until the 300hp version is widely available.

Ben Alexander

October 1, 2021