VOLKSWAGEN’S ID.3 ELECTRIC car will be on Irish roads from next summer, but pre-bookers, car fans and media were given a first look this week at a preview event in Dublin. Motoring journalist Dave Humphreys headed along – here’s his take on Volkswagen’s most talked-about new arrival since the Golf and the Beetle.
The Volkswagen brand is going through a change, the likes of which is unprecedented in the company’s history. It has ambitious plans to be carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest, and electric vehicles will play a significant role in that.
Leading the charge towards electrification is the ID.3, a five-door hatchback that is set to be as historic and important a model as the Beetle and Golf. Already, more than 400 Irish buyers have placed a refundable pre-booking deposit to secure their place in line.
Weston Airfield, Dublin
I arrive and am shown inside. I’m here for a preview event, which Volkswagen has mainly organised for ID.3 pre-bookers – all of whom have paid a refundable deposit of €1,000 to be on the pre-order list – to keep them updated on the progress of the car.
Attendees will also be able to check out a pre-production model, in Ireland for a short time only.
For the majority of attendees, this event will be the first opportunity to be able to see and sit in the car. Pre-bookers will also get a timeline of what will happen in the run-up to them receiving their ID.3 in mid-2020, so excitement levels are high.
After an introductory talk from Volkswagen Brand Director, Gerrit Heimberg and a short video, the car is unveiled under the spotlights.
Inside the ID.3
The only thing we can’t do today is drive it, but sitting inside gets us close enough to plenty of neat details in the ID.3, like brake and throttle pedals with pause and play icons on them. A new type of infotainment system brings higher levels of connectivity and the voice control system is more natural to use and can detect whether the driver or passenger is speaking.
As it’s electric, there’s more room inside too, as the battery is housed within the floor. Even though the ID.3 is around the size of a Volkswagen Golf, it feels larger inside.
As explained during our session, pre-booked ID.3 models will come in a special ID.3 1st specification as part of the car’s launch. This model includes what will become the mid-range 58kWh battery that has a one-charge driving range of up to 420 kilometres.
Three spec levels
Buyers will be able to choose from three different specification grades and during the early part of next year will be asked to decide which one they want ahead of their car going into production.
The first customer deliveries in Ireland are due in the second half of 2020, but we’re told that a small number of ID.3s will be driving on Irish roads in 2020 as part of Volkswagen’s partnership with UEFA Euro 2020.
All three versions of the ID.3 1st will come with 100kW DC fast-charging capacity, Volkswagen’s ID. Light and navigation with a built-in data connection.
Many buyers of the ID.3 will be switching to an electric vehicle for the first time, but there are a number of initiatives in place to make that transition smoother.
For example, for an additional cost buyers can order a smart Wi-Fi enabled wallbox for home charging of the car, which can be set to begin charging at a time of your choice. An impressive advantage of the 420-kilometre range of the ID.3 1st is that the average user will only need to charge a couple of times per week.
The ID.3 is a major milestone for Volkswagen and serves at the start of a new era that will see a wave of new fully electric models hitting the roads in the coming years.
Like what you see? The Volkswagen ID.3 marks the beginning of a new, dynamic era in the world of e-mobility. Electrifying performance meets groundbreaking design and practical range. For people looking for change. The future is ready and waiting. Get on board. Find out more about the Volkswagen ID.3 and pre-book it online here.
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