VW ID.7 shatters expectations with 941 km on a single charge

15 January 2025

In a recent test at Porsche's Nardo facility in Italy, a standard Volkswagen ID.7 Pro S electric sedan made history by achieving a remarkable 585 miles on a single charge. This significantly beats the vehicle's official, and already impressive, WLTP range of 441 miles.

The ID.7 Pro S comes with an 86 kWh battery and a 282 hp electric motor powering rear wheels. It demonstrated exceptional efficiency during the test, achieving 9.2 kWh/100 km (6.7 miles per kWh). This translates to roughly 149 Wh per mile. To put this into perspective, the average electric car in the US consumes around 300 Wh per mile. That should be impressive, right?

Well, not exactly. Buried in the official press release is a small but very important detail. The test was conducted on Nardo's Low-Speed Ring. And there it is - Low Speed. It simulated real-world traffic conditions with an average speed of 18 mph. All this test did was highlight the ID.7's exceptional efficiency in an urban environment. Which already is a perfect playground for any electric vehicle.

Let's put these numbers into perspective. VW managed 585 miles with an 86 kWh battery pack. A little Citroen e-C3 can squeeze out 245 miles out of its tiny 44 kWh battery in WLTP city conditions. Half the battery size - half the range. That means the ID.7 is as efficient as the Citroen, which on its own is a decent achievement. But you can bet your lunch that little Citroen would score even better if driven the same way VW was.

Achieving such a range in a vehicle the size of ID.7 requires specific conditions and driving habits. Factors like temperature, terrain, and driving style can significantly impact an EV's real-world range.

Volkswagen wants you to focus on the fact that the ID.7 Pro S boasts a drag coefficient of just 0.23 Cd, contributing to its aerodynamic efficiency. And that's marvelous. In reality, who would want to spend around $65,000 on the ID.7 only to use it in the city, if e-C3 does the same job for half the price?

The ID.7's "record-breaking" range is more of a marketing exercise than an actual record. It does not translate directly to long-distance highway journeys, but it certainly sets a new benchmark for large EV efficiency. There's no denying the ID.7 is an excellent electric vehicle - it has room to spare, it has decent tech, and its overall quality is spot on. But it's not a city dweller's dream. A V8 Escalade driven at 18 mph will use half the fuel Prius will at highway speed. Following VW's logic, we all should have bought an Escalade to save the world.

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