Volkswagen ID.3 proves again that batteries are not the main problem of electric cars

The life of the Volkswagen ID.3 was not a long, quiet river. After seeing its launch delayed, this electric compact experienced more or less important youth problems. But many of these faults have been corrected by electronic updates, whether remotely or in the workshop. Even if we still lack testimonies on this model in our reliability form, the situation seems to have improved well. This Rivale of the Renault Mégane E-Tech has even been illustrated in an endurance test led by the prestigious German Automobile Club Adac. After four years and 160,000 km, the high voltage battery of 77 kWh which equips its Pro S version would have kept no less than 91 % of its capacity. A result much higher than 70 % which would have given rise to a replacement of this part, guaranteed for eight years or 160,000 km in most manufacturers.

A Volkswagen ID.3 battery that has not been spared

This performance is not an isolated case. Other recent studies, notably in the Arval rental company, have shown that the aging of high -voltage accumulators of electric vehicles tended to be much better than expected. Good news given the generally colossal price of this component. To obtain the state of health (or SOH) of the ID.3 pro bat that served as a guinea pig, the ADAC relied on an independent solution provided by the Austrian company Aviloo. Even if it includes a margin of error of 3 %, it is considered one of the references in this area. The result is all the more positive since the organization has not necessarily followed all the good practices supposed to prolong the lifespan of the Nickel-Manganesse-Cobalt accumulator (NMC). 40 % of the refills thus took place on rapid terminals, sometimes going up to 100 % energy while 80 % is more recommended with this chemistry. Note also that the SOH had already dropped 96 % after 21,749 km. The drop then slowed down.

Too much revisions for the Volkswagen ID.3

According to ADAC, even with more than 160,000 km on the clock, the ID.3 pro S remains “perfectly suited to long journeys, at least when the external temperatures are not too low. When the battery is cold, the fast load at a power of about 80 kW takes significantly more time in summer.” The fault, in particular, in the absence of a battery preconditioning system which has arrived during the career on this compact and which has never been added to the old models. The German automobile-club implores Volkswagen to pass a software update to correct this defect. The organization is also very critical of the ergonomics of ID.3, which we have not stopped denouncing in our tests. He also regrets the slowness of infotainment and the cost of revisions, planned only every two years. The first was indeed billed nearly 500 euros and the second € 427, which seems prohibitive for an electric car with a very small number of parts.

An imperfect reliability assessment for the Volkswagen ID.3

Reliability has not been completely flawless either. Despite the replacement of a defective transmission shaft under warranty at around 55,000 km, a rattling noise is reappeared at just under 100,000 km. It was also necessary to repair a defective GPS antenna for € 525 or the tailgate opening mechanism for € 227. Finally, the German compact refused to start around 158,000 km twice. As on many electric cars, the 12V battery was first held responsible, with a savory bill of € 456. But the breakdown would actually be rather linked to a dysfunction of the function “automatic opening at the approach” of the doors, supposed to be now corrected thanks to the software update 3.7. All these faults do not prevent the ADAC from drawing up a rather positive assessment in the end. In addition to the high voltage battery, the ID.3 chassis has notably resisted this endurance test. According to the organization, “the general condition is impeccable for a vehicle of this mileage”. However, the hardest part remains to be done since the automobile club now plans to take its copy up to 250,000 km.