The EV newbie

By Richard Pollins Managing Partner, DMH Stallard LLP

I must admit I’ve been a bit late to the electric car party. I’ve watched from afar in recent years with interest but the lure of the internal combustion engine (particularly one with a V8) has so far been compelling. After all EVs are just posh milk floats aren’t they? But after an ill fated trip to Wembley to see the Euro 2020 Final and a night on the hard shoulder of the M25 following a breakdown, a new family car was in order. So we went electric for the first time.

We carried out some research and decided to go for the Volkswagen ID4. Something big but not impossible to park. And happily VW had one in stock in a decent colour (Manganese Grey) so we didn’t have to wait months for delivery.

TECH STUFF

MODEL TESTED: Volkswagen ID.4 Life BATTERY: 77kWh POWER: 204 bhp SPEED: 0-62 8.5 secs TOP: 99 mph RANGE QUOTED: 310 miles PRICE FROM: £34,995

❛❛ But the real test was to come. Within a few days we set off on a family holiday to Gloucestershire ❜❜

We picked up our nice new electric car a few weeks ago. First impressions were positive – this is a very decent car to drive. Comfortable seats and excellent driving position. Quick acceleration but not ridiculous. 0-60 in eight seconds and a top speed of 99 mph is perfect for the real world rather than the race track. Nice screen and display (not oversized as found in some other EVs) with controls much easier to use than reviews suggested. Voice command was rubbish though but with seamless Apple Play integration this really wasn’t an issue. A software update is apparently due soon which should sort that out.

But the real test was to come. Within a few days we set off on a family holiday to Gloucestershire. two Adults, two Kids, two dogs all comfortable in the ID4’s expansive cabin. Motorway driving was smooth and assured with a range of driver assist features to keep us safe. The ID4 was a delight to drive. Smooth, responsive, quiet and dare I say fun at times. It exceeded all expectations.

Build finish throughout is excellent with an impressive range of standard kit. The only disappointments were the drum brakes at the back, steel wheels (not alloys) and no parking camera. I would have expected a bit more on a £43k car but I’m being picky really. And some of the driving assistance makes fine control on parking somewhat challenging (particulate on a gradient). Again a software update should sort that out. But how did we deal with the dreaded PCA – Phobic Charging Anxiety. It was fine. You need to be a little more organised than in a normal car for long journeys but on our 77KV life performance, the stated range was 310 miles and in the real world we got 290 miles. That’s more than sufficient for most commutes and town driving. A blast on a fast charger (125kWh) filled her up in half an hour and overnight using a charger to a 3-pin wall socket we added 100 miles. Charging at home is much cheaper than on the go. Typically the car costs around £7 to fully charge overnight at home but you’ll pay a premium of up to £30 for commercial charge points. Still cheaper than gas though.

So I think I’m now a convert. My other car, a Ford Mustang GT now feels very old and dirty by comparison. EVs are indeed the future (and good of course for the planet). I’m green and I’m sold.