VW makes the switch
THE push towards electric cars is intensifying, whether Britain’s motorists like it nor not. A ban on sales of petrol, diesel and even hybrid cars looms in 2035. Some ministers want to go further; Tesladriving Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is suggesting 2032, and some MPs and campaigners are even pressing for 2030.
However, manufacturers say they will not be able to produce sufficient electric cars and don’t believe there will be enough domestic and public charging points to keep all the battery-powered vehicles on the road. Meanwhile, electricity companies warn they may have to cut supplies to car chargers if peak power demand gets too great.
Against this background, Volkswagen this week launched the ID.4, its first all-electric SUV, which could prove a game-changer when it goes on sale near the end of the year, costing from £42,000 after deducting the £3,000 plug-in car grant.
Riding on 20 in or 21 in wheels, the
ID.4 promises a 323-mile range — enough to go from London to Newcastle. Only Tesla’s Model 3 and Model S go farther.
With an electric motor developing 204 hp and a 77 kWh battery, rest to 62 mph takes 8.5 seconds up to a top speed limited at 99 mph. The minimalist interior is dominated by a central dashboard infortainment screen, and there’s voice control. The 543- litre boot space nearly trebles to 1,575 litres with the rear seats down.
Various versions, including a four-wheel drive, will follow to take on the Kia e-Niro and the forthcoming Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-e.
And MG has just launched an 156 hp MG5 EV estate, with a 214-mile range, costing from £24,495 after subsidy. VW hopes the ID. 4, one of 75 electric models it has planned to up to 2029, will move it on from the ‘dieselgate’ scandal.
Its chairman and four former bosses face a serious fraud trial in Germany over emissions testcheating software. The VW group has already paid £30 billion in fines and settlements and the defendants could be jailed for up ten years if found guilty.