It’s Electrifying! Introducing the all-new Volkswagen ID.4 (Electric Vehicle)

Volkswagen (AG) Wolfsburg, Germany, announced a while back that they vowed to become a “carbon neutral” company in the very near future.  A very bold statement coming from any manufacturing company let alone a car company.  Volkswagen has invested billions of dollars worldwide to make this a reality and the first taste of that promise is about to be at our front door and on the streets of America. The all-new Volkswagen ID.4.

Prior to any new vehicle launch, auto makers invite the media for what they call a “media drive”.  The media companies will send their own car enthusiast (and toughest critics) to not only touch, feel and drive the new vehicle(s), but to write about their experience in their respective publications or platforms. 

“Mashable” is a tech, science, social and digital multi-media platform based out of New York. They sent their car enthusiast, Sasha Lekach to Northern California for Volkswagen’s media drive.  Of course, anytime you invite media to get behind the wheel in real-time driving situations, you’re certainly also going to get their totally non-biased opinion (good or bad). Chances are those opinions will be published for all the world to see.  Although this is a great way to validate the product as it prepares to hit the market, it’s also risky, bold and stressful for any automobile manufacturer because they’ve invested millions in R&D and production.

One of my favorite quotes in Sasha’s article reads: “The Tesla experience in a Model Y is very stark and a bit cold with the giant screen and nothing else.  While the ID.4 is just as spacious as a Tesla, it felt more welcoming.  With cute ‘play’ and ‘pause’ symbols on your gas and brake pedals, and both the screen and side and front panels (ambient lighting) lit up to your color selection, it’s a lot more playful.  In a few taps of the screen, I could create my own little world, even for a 45-minute drive.”

She goes on to write: “There’s a ‘Hello ID’ voice recognition system.  While talking to your car is nothing new, this was the first time it didn’t feel like I was talking to a car-size version of Siri.  Instead of ‘set the heat to 70 degrees’ or something similarly specific, I could just say, ‘I’m feeling chilly’.  It was very colloquial yet functional.  I wasn’t screaming demands at a giant Alexa device but almost having a conversation with a helpful passenger”.

The article goes on about her experience saying things like “easy and fun to drive, smooth, quiet”, etc. but she also said, “it’s the interior features that really make it stand out”.

There are tons and tons of features about this car that I could go on forever about.  VW has set up a reservation platform on their website at www.vw.com.  You can read and learn more about the ID.4, and even secure one for yourself.  If you want to see and drive the real thing, our first ID.4 is scheduled to arrive here at Hewlett Volkswagen any day!  (ETA mid-late March).  This particular ID.4 is for show and tell and cannot be purchased at this time.  We invite you to come take it for a test drive.  It’s electrifying!

Happy driving,

John Chauvin, Hewlett VW General Manager