WOLFSBURG: VW's ID.3 electric hatch has successfully completed a marathon test drive across Germany covering 28,198km.
In the process, the team involved in the mission also set the world record for the “longest continuous EV drive through a single country”.
The 65-day journey from Oberstdorf to Sylt ended on Dec 1 as scheduled despite the restrictions in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The goal of the test drive was not only to gauge the long-distance capabilities of the new Volkswagen model but also the charging infrastructure in the country.
At the heart of this endurance test was a Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S pre-production model with a battery capacity of 77 kWh. The vehicle boasts a range of up to 549km in the WLTP cycle and will be launched in spring 2021.
The test drive by Rainer Zietlow and his co-driver Dominic Brüner was organised by the Institute of Transport Logistics (ITL) at TU Dortmund University.
The drivers were instructed to only use quick-charging stations with a minimum charging output of 60 kilowatts across the country.
The 125 kilowatts maximum charging capacity of the ID.3 Pro S was provided at most of the tested quick-charging stations and the Volkswagen We Charge payment system granted access across all brands. Over the two-month project the team visited stations operated by a total of 69 charge point operators.
On average, the test vehicle consumed 19 kWh per 100 km covered during this marathon test drive while the longest stretch without charging was 420km.
“The charging infrastructure (in Germany) is already relatively well developed nowadays," said Zietlow.
"A total of 652 stations were compatible with We Charge. However, at some sites there is still potential for improvement, for instance some charging stations are located off the beaten track or they are poorly lit at night.”
