531 kms on single charge: Volkswagen ID.3 electric sets new range record

The new Volkswagen ID.3 has set its first range record in Switzerland. In a statement issued by the carmaker, the new electric car from the German carmaker’s stable covered a little more than 530 kilometres from Zwickau to Schaffhausen in Switzerland, on a single charge.

Officially, the model has a range of up to 420 kilometres (WLTP). This mark was topped by more than 100 kilometres – an increase of 26 percent.

The vehicle was a series production ID.3 1st Pro Performance with a 58 kWh battery built at the Zwickau electric car factory. The route to Switzerland consisted entirely of public roads and highways, passing cities such as Bayreuth and Ulm.

The record-breaking vehicle was driven by 'hypermiler' Felix Egolf, a native of Switzerland. The term 'hypermiling' originated in the USA and refers to driving a series production vehicle with techniques that maximise efficiency and minimise consumption.

“This car has everything, it is compact but spacious, has a cool, almost futuristic design and a low drag coefficient", Egolf said after arriving in Schaffhausen. Although the record-breaking journey is not entirely comparable with day-to-day trips, it nevertheless underpins the everyday practicality of the ID.3.

“With its high-volt battery, efficient drivetrain and fast charging capability, even long journeys are not a problem", said Reinhard de Vries, Managing Director Technology and Logistics at Volkswagen Sachsen. “This is also a strong message for the team in Zwickau and for the entire ID. team."

The ID.3 is built at the Zwickau electric car factory and is the first member of Volkswagen’s all-electric ID. family. Volkswagen will start selling its electric ID.3 on July 20. In total, seven different variants of the car are offered by the German company, with prices between 35,000 and 45,000 euros (between ₹30 lakh and 39 lakh).

The 7thpreconfigured model Tour is the only ID.3 that has an official range of more than 500 kms. It is based on the four-seat ProS model that allows for a bigger battery (77 kWh net battery energy content) with a range of up to 550 km and 125kW DC charging.