ADAC, Germany’s leading automobile association, has just concluded its endurance test on the Volkswagen ID. 3. The opportunity to see the condition and performance of the electric city car after more than 100,000 km.
As we know, the Volkswagen ID.3 had a difficult start, in particular due to its numerous software problems and the questionable quality of the materials used to dress its interior. Volkswagen has heard these legitimate criticisms. In 2023, the German brand has made sure to erase these defects in a completely remodeled version of the ID. 3.
If this new model has definitively replaced the old versions since April 2023 in France, the ID. There are still many of the first 3 of the name on our roads. Notice to owners of pre-restyling ID.3, The results of this test conducted by ADAC will surely interest you.
The ID. 3 passes the 100,000 km test
Indeed, the first German automobile association subjected an ID.3 to a rigorous examination for more than 2 and a half years, with a stated objective: reach 100,000 km as quickly as possible. To achieve this objective, the engineers did not spare the battery. Indeed, the ID. 3 has often been recharged to 100% on fast charging terminals, a practice which eventually damages the cells and which is not recommended by the manufacturer.
This was the first time that a vehicle from the ID range. passed this endurance test. Let us specify that it was a ID. 3 Pro S with a 77 kWh battery put into circulation in May 2021, with a 150 kW electric motor (for a torque of 310 Nm) and an announced autonomy of 525 km in the WLTP cycle.
As ADAC specifies, the compact electric city car was examined according to 8 main criteria and more than 300 sub-criteriaamong on-board technologies, safety, maneuverability, ease of use and even environmental impact. The aim is to draw up a portrait of the vehicle after having exceeded the symbolic milestone of 100,000 km.
Also read: Volkswagen ID.3 – the electric car obtains 5 stars in the most demanding crash test
The battery displays an astonishing shape
But then, how did the ID fare? 3? Concerning the battery first of all, it displays a rather astonishing shape. With 102,500 km on the clock, the engineers noted a capacity of 93%! Enough to confirm Volkswagen’s promise, which guarantees a net battery capacity of at least 70% of the original capacity after 8 years of use or 160,000 km.
In his balance sheet, the association then praised the software monitoring of the ID. 3. Thanks to several updates deployed during these 2 and a half years, the manufacturer has been able to improve numerous aspects: increase in charging power to 170 kW, reduction in electrical consumption over short distances and at low temperatures. (between 0 and 5°C), etc.
Be careful, everything is not rosy. Around 75,000 km, ADAC engineers were forced to take the ID.3 for servicing at VW for €500. Moreover, the transmission shaft has acted up (a recurring fault with the manufacturer) was replaced at 55,000 km. Problems reappeared on the part as it approached 100,000 km. Finally, ADAC once again criticized the layout of the touch controls on the steering wheel (a well-known concern) and the slowness of the infotainment system.
Source : ADAC
