Volkswagen has unveiled a handful
of electric concept cars since 2017.
Now it finally has a production-ready EV,
the ID.3.
It's a compact hatchback
designed exclusively
for the European market.
Due to the ID.3's size and affordability,
it's poised to be a fierce competitor
for Tesla's Model 3.
Here's how the two cars stack up.
ID.3 customers will be able to choose
between three different battery packs.
Although the ID.3 falls
short of Tesla's numbers,
both vehicles offer enough range
for the average consumer.
Fast charging comes
standard on both vehicles.
The ID.3 will take advantage
of Europe's Ionity network.
The Model 3 comes out on
top in terms of range.
When it comes to performance,
it's hard to beat Tesla's
battery technology.
While VW hasn't confirmed
any acceleration tests,
Top Gear estimates the ID.3 makes
the 0-to-100 run in about nine seconds.
So Tesla can hold on to its reputation
of producing the quickest EVs.
But in all fairness,
the ID.3 wasn't designed
to be quick off the line.
The overall look of these two EVs
couldn't be more different.
The Model 3 is a midsized sedan,
while the ID.3 sports a hatchback.
The Model 3 is a sleek, miniature version
of its bigger brother, Model S.
Traditional buttons and
knobs are all reimagined
on its 15-inch tablet-like display.
The ID.3 resembles the popular Golf
but is longer, wider, and taller.
Inside, the ID.3 looks and feels
like a new era of Volkswagen.
It features two displays,
an instrument cluster
attached to the steering column
and a 10-inch display that
sits in front of the dashboard
and acts as the infotainment system.
Unlike the Model 3, the ID.3's display
calls back to a traditional dashboard
with touch-sensitive buttons
with haptic feedback.
Both interiors bring owners
into a new era of driving,
but the ID.3 seems to offer
a bit more familiarity.
As far as cargo space is concerned,
they offer 541 and 542 liters of space,
and both seat up to five adults.
So they're evenly matched here.
The Model 3 comes standard with Autopilot,
Tesla's semiautonomous driving feature,
designed to maintain a
safe distance from the car
in front of you and keep you in your lane.
The ID.3 will come standard with
adaptive cruise control and lane assist,
which delivers the same functions
as Tesla's Autopilot.
The Model 3 also does away
with the traditional car key
and replaces it with an RFID card,
similar to a hotel key.
But what sets the ID.3
apart from most EVs?
Its ID.Light,
an LED strip that runs
across the dashboard.
It's designed to
communicate with the driver
through a system of
blinking and color changes.
Where Tesla seems to scale back
on its entry-level EV,
Volkswagen offers a little more.
Volkswagen has positioned the ID.3
to be an easy choice over the Model 3.
It's off to a good start,
with over 30,000 reservations.
Although the ID.3 doesn't quite compete
with the performance of a Tesla,
Volkswagen nails the features
consumers look for in an affordable EV.
The first edition of the ID.3
is expected to hit
European roads this summer.
So we'll just have to wait and see
if it's as good on the
road as it is on paper.
