ID3 range-ometer just cannot be believed

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L-R-L
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Post by L-R-L »

I bought my ID3 in May 2021 and took it home at the end of September. Max range as advertised is 217 miles, but the reality is simply nothing like it. I find the experience of driving the car stressful, as I can simply not believe what the range-ometer says. Take today - it’s 2.5degrees and a full charge only have me 161 miles (in eco mode). For every mile I drive it’s taking at least three off the range. So that 161 miles might only be 50 miles in reality. And that’s with the air con off!
So that put an end to me using the car for a relatively short 100 mile trip - I had to rent a petrol instead (because on top of the ID3’s lies, you can’t find a reliable charging station on the M11).
Honestly, I think this WLVT business is the next car scam. We had it with diesel emissions and now it’s battery range. 217 miles!? Try 100 just about in fair weather!
I feel I’ve been seriously conned into buying what turns out to be a very expensive car for a city runaround.

SteveJ180
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Post by SteveJ180 »

Your experience echoes what many others have said, and across various makes of electric car too. I find the range-ometer to be very accurate, BUT there are some key aspects that need to be understood:

The calculated range is based on previous driving efficiency. IF your last journey was at an average of 3.5 miles/kWh then that's the calculated range for the car. However, if the temperature has dropped significantly or your new journey returns a very different level of consumption, the calculated range will steadily adjust to factor this in.

For example, I get about 3.5 at 10 C, but recently I've gone out to the car at just above freezing and watched it recalculate the range based on that, which is more like 2.5 m/kWh.

The second thing is the length of journey. For the first few miles the car will be heating the battery, using a LOT of power. This is especially noticeable when you get down below 5-8C, and significant at 0C. So if you drive 5 miles, your range will be rubbish because you spent the whole journey heating the battery. If you drive 30 miles, you spent the first 5 or so heating the battery, but after that the next 25 were at a much better consumption. So lots of small journeys in winter will give you a really poor range, I agree.

The final thing is the speed you drive at. Expect to see significantly higher consumption at 60+mph than at 30mph. So if my journey is all 30mph into town I get decent consumption but if I jump onto the bypass and head into the City it's much lower.

These things all combine, and will be specific to your location, journey length and weather on any given day. Jump into the car and nip down the bypass for a few miles on a freezing morning and expect 2m/kWh. The projected range obviously therefore changes dynamically based on these factors.

Two things of note: the WLTP range is calculated with a warm battery at I think 15C with mixed driving style. I certainly saw the advertised 264 miles (58kW batter) in the warmer months, so I believe it's accurate in those conditions. The second is, this also applies to ICE cars. 'On a run' as people say, you can get high mpg. On t a freezing morning going 3 miles on the school run, expect 10mpg not 40+. But crucially, most people don't I think pay much attention to the range-ometer in an ICE car, just looking at the fairly crude petrol gauge.
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andrewparker
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Post by andrewparker »

I don't find my ICE cars to be any different. In fact my petrol BMW is terrible for it. The range can have reduced by 20 miles just moving it off the drive and travelling 1 mile up the road.
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Razormark
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Post by Razormark »

Have you tried to pre-condition the battery by turning the air-conditioning on from your phone ? It helps during those frosty mornings, especially for the first miles !

Regarding the range-ometer I tend to rely on the exact battery percentage on the middle screen. Using ABPR and Tronity together gives me an accurate range-ometer I can rely on.
phixion
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Post by phixion »

Depends how economically you drive, also take in to account that when you start the car the battery needs warming up in these temperatures.

Short journeys tend to knock a bigger chunk of mileage than a long one, as most of the power is being used to heat the battery rather than actually move the car down the road.

I've got the Tour and I've done some long journeys and never had an issue, I don't have range anxiety at all. But that's why I chose the Tour over the smaller battery models.

I can't wait to see what range I get in the summer, currently seeing anywhere from 220-240 miles at 80% charge.
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Rab3L
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Post by Rab3L »

I am charging my ID3 (58kwh) at the moment and getting a range of 185m at 80%. The range drops more quickly than you would expect at the start of the journey to warm the battery but after a certain time that ceases when the battery reaches temperature.

I would agree with you about the M11. I drove from Eastbourne to Duxford yesterday and there were no rapid chargers available, except in Saffron Walden, which is not exactly on the M11. I charged at Thurrock Services in both directions. Battery usage was exactly as predicted by BRP.
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Daveion
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Post by Daveion »

The WLTP figures are a common base line for all new vehicles. The figures are not lies they are obtained under specific conditions so that we can compare cars knowing the criteria is the same for all on a level playing field.
Its easy to take those figures out of context if your own useage for instance is many short trips on cold days. I have had my car for a year now and have experienced a 100% range of 283 miles in Summer and 178 miles in Winter.
The research I did before hand told me that this would be the case.
I feel your frustration and for those who who find the Winter Summer range a surprise but know also its avoidable with a little research.
The term "real world" range popped up with every bit of research I did when I bought my car.
I still have a 3.0 litre BMW. Short jouneys in Winter take me down to a consumption of 23 MPG.
In Summer on a run it returns 42 MPG.
Not a lot different to a BEV in reallity.
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Post by Deleted User 314 »

I find the range-ometer is extremely accurate, a bit smug because I don't have the variation in temperature you do, but I, right now, am getting 280km - 300km on 80%, in spring months more and then it drops again in the summer.

We bought ours in winter so the expectations are somewhat reversed for our first year!
Scratch
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Post by Scratch »

It’s an EV fact that the range is temperature reliant. To make me feel better, I calculate what equivalent mpg I would get if I spent the same money on petrol. For example, today, my short journeys at very low temperatures, was returning 2.7 miles / KWh. That equates to 83.6mpg based on Asda petrol at 137.7p / litre.
I can live with that during our short(ish) winter weather. It will improve a lot in the spring/summer months.
gailjon
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Post by gailjon »

There is absolutely no way that an ID3 would fail to make a 100 mile journey even in cold weather. Unless you accelerate like an idiot and drive at 95mph then it will get 150 even in cold weather when charged to 100 percent.

e drove 4 up to Warwick Castle and back which was exactly 200 miles total along the A46 mainly 60-70 mph. Got back with 6 miles spare.
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Daveion
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Post by Daveion »

Not a single response other than to confirm what is normal.
When you buy something for circa £30k what research do you do?
It's nice to help people understand their car but when a thread is started and underlined by accusation of lies from the manufacturer I really lose patience.
I'm in my 70's and research through the Internet. It's not difficult to determine reliable sources of information. I had never had a BEV before and picked my car up on a zero degree day in December 2020 170 miles from home. I was confident about the drive home without a charge because I researched it. I despair for those who don't.
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monkeyhanger
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Post by monkeyhanger »

I just can't believe that no-one seems to look at existing threads before starting a new one, asking the same questions that have been answered a few dozen times before.

Every other day there's a new thread about range drop in the Winter or asking why their ID3 doesn't do 261 miles everywhere and at all times. It'd not as though ICE cars solidly deliver the WLTP figures at all times.
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Post by Deleted User 192 »

WLTP is nothing to do with VW, it’s an independent lab test.

All manufacturers “advertise” it, whether ICE, BEV, or something in between.

Your first few miles will be higher consumption whenever it’s cold, as power is used to warm the batteries.
MattP
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Post by MattP »

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t part of the next software update which requires a dealer visit due to help with battery preconditioning?
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Post by G43FAN »

Hi, Welcome to the forum L-R-L.. if you do come back a little background on your general usage might coax some helpful information out of the forum regulars, we all love our IDs and many complete 200+ mile journeys with no issue it just needs a bit more prep. For charging, it's always useful to have a couple of alternatives, the network isn't great but it's getting better.
MattP wrote: Thu Jan 06, 2022 8:39 pm Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t part of the next software update which requires a dealer visit due to help with battery preconditioning?
The dealer visit is for 2.4 and something to do with the 12v Battery, then 3.0 will be next and that will improve the battery precon, I think.. but I suspect that will be Q2/3 at the earliest.
Jimmyinit
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Post by Jimmyinit »

I have had my Tour for about 3 weeks now and yes in the colder weather on short journeys to work <7 miles it is 2.7kwh but on a journey that is >20 with heating on (because we all have other halves that like to be warm?) I see 3.8kwh and I am sure if I were to go further a field I would improve that number. I choose the Tour with a heat pump for maximum range to be sure the car I have invested a lot of money in would be capable of doing easily a non stop journey of >280 but I certainly know that going to work and back in cold weather will result in 140 miles total but let me say this I was using an old L200 soley for work <7 miles there and <7 miles back costing me £140 a month in diesel and something like 18 to the gallon the engine has been rebuilt 3 years ago new turbo egr and exshaust and no I was not giving it any beans at all in fact I was driving so slowly that other traffic got used to me and would pass me every morning because I was a rolling road block. Maybe we are all trying to kid ourselves about our new fangled electric cars but I certainly fully expected the range I am getting doing short journeys? I as others have said use the warm my car part of the app to get my car nice and warm for when I get in it and this certainly seems to help with the amount of range loss maybe that is because it is has the HP I am not certain, the other morning I went to a local Tesco as an experiment to put in some charge and because I had sat in the car the windows were misted up so I put the MAX windscreen mode on and good god did that hit the GOM and certainly dropped me down to sub 1kwh so that will never ever be used again I can tell you for nothing I mean who actually needs to see in one of these cars they drive themselves hehehehe....
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Scratch
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Post by Scratch »

Jimmyinit wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 8:47 am I have had my Tour for about 3 weeks now and yes in the colder weather on short journeys to work <7 miles it is 2.7kwh but on a journey that is >20 with heating on (because we all have other halves that like to be warm?) I see 3.8kwh and I am sure if I were to go further a field I would improve that number. I choose the Tour with a heat pump for maximum range to be sure the car I have invested a lot of money in would be capable of doing easily a non stop journey of >280 but I certainly know that going to work and back in cold weather will result in 140 miles total but let me say this I was using an old L200 soley for work <7 miles there and <7 miles back costing me £140 a month in diesel and something like 18 to the gallon the engine has been rebuilt 3 years ago new turbo egr and exshaust and no I was not giving it any beans at all in fact I was driving so slowly that other traffic got used to me and would pass me every morning because I was a rolling road block. Maybe we are all trying to kid ourselves about our new fangled electric cars but I certainly fully expected the range I am getting doing short journeys? I as others have said use the warm my car part of the app to get my car nice and warm for when I get in it and this certainly seems to help with the amount of range loss maybe that is because it is has the HP I am not certain, the other morning I went to a local Tesco as an experiment to put in some charge and because I had sat in the car the windows were misted up so I put the MAX windscreen mode on and good god did that hit the GOM and certainly dropped me down to sub 1kwh so that will never ever be used again I can tell you for nothing I mean who actually needs to see in one of these cars they drive themselves hehehehe....
Being able to warm the car up before leaving is a great thing - when it works!
Jimmyinit
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Post by Jimmyinit »

Scratch wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 8:58 am
Jimmyinit wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 8:47 am I have had my Tour for about 3 weeks now and yes in the colder weather on short journeys to work <7 miles it is 2.7kwh but on a journey that is >20 with heating on (because we all have other halves that like to be warm?) I see 3.8kwh and I am sure if I were to go further a field I would improve that number. I choose the Tour with a heat pump for maximum range to be sure the car I have invested a lot of money in would be capable of doing easily a non stop journey of >280 but I certainly know that going to work and back in cold weather will result in 140 miles total but let me say this I was using an old L200 soley for work <7 miles there and <7 miles back costing me £140 a month in diesel and something like 18 to the gallon the engine has been rebuilt 3 years ago new turbo egr and exshaust and no I was not giving it any beans at all in fact I was driving so slowly that other traffic got used to me and would pass me every morning because I was a rolling road block. Maybe we are all trying to kid ourselves about our new fangled electric cars but I certainly fully expected the range I am getting doing short journeys? I as others have said use the warm my car part of the app to get my car nice and warm for when I get in it and this certainly seems to help with the amount of range loss maybe that is because it is has the HP I am not certain, the other morning I went to a local Tesco as an experiment to put in some charge and because I had sat in the car the windows were misted up so I put the MAX windscreen mode on and good god did that hit the GOM and certainly dropped me down to sub 1kwh so that will never ever be used again I can tell you for nothing I mean who actually needs to see in one of these cars they drive themselves hehehehe....
Being able to warm the car up before leaving is a great thing - when it works!
I certainly has not failed me once and I appreciate that I have only had the car a short length of time. I hope the original poster sees that in the most everyone is trying to suggest that maybe just maybe your experience is as per normal regardless of manufacture or model and that we are pointing out that driving a combustion engine is no different when it comes to consumption certainly go get in one and put the AC on and see the range change on the dash, I occansionaly drive my wifes car and the range goes UP when I am driving not that I am juding so if she does read this I am NOT JUDING honest :o
24.12.21 Car on my drive delivered - - Tour Stonewash Blue with Heat pump
V3 Software updated 12-14 Nov 2022
mawright89
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Post by mawright89 »

Can I ask.. just got my car.. regarding the pre condition of the batteries.. do I have to set a time in the app for it to sort the batteries out. Or can I say, 15 mins before we leave I set the cabin temp to 19, will that start to pre condition as well. Just wondering. Sorry if it's a little off topic.
Jimmyinit
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Post by Jimmyinit »

mawright89 wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 1:18 pm Can I ask.. just got my car.. regarding the pre condition of the batteries.. do I have to set a time in the app for it to sort the batteries out. Or can I say, 15 mins before we leave I set the cabin temp to 19, will that start to pre condition as well. Just wondering. Sorry if it's a little off topic.
Hi the later is what I do on a daily basis and it seems to help but others have said that it is not connected so try it on a known trip and see if it helps or not :D
24.12.21 Car on my drive delivered - - Tour Stonewash Blue with Heat pump
V3 Software updated 12-14 Nov 2022
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