Volkswagen engineers have defined, and tested, the perfect route to maximize the range of the ID.7. But you don’t have to be in a hurry…
First legitimate reaction: “ Where is the scam?“. Second reaction: “ Another test impossible to reproduce in real life?“. And then, by taking the time to understand, we end up convincing ourselves…
So, in December 2024, a team of engineers from Volkswagen visited the Italian Nardo test track, owned by Porsche. Despite the time of year, conditions were almost perfect: clear, dry skies and temperatures of 5 to 15 degrees Celsius. The objective: to measure the final autonomy of an ID.7 Pro S, a large sedan with an aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.23. With its 86 kWh battery, the German promises in the European WLTP mixed cycle up to 709 km of autonomy. As for its power, provided by a simple rear electric motor, it stands at 210 kW (286 horsepower), and 0 to 100 km/h is dispatched in 6.6 seconds if necessary.
An interesting frugality
This large Nardo circuit, 12.5 kilometers long, offers an ideal environment for reproducing a variety of traffic scenarios and carrying out endurance tests. For this test, the average speed was set at 29 km/h, a pace corresponding to typical urban traffic jams. For comparison, TomTom’s latest traffic report indicates that this speed ranges between 22 km/h in Hamburg and 31 km/h in Amsterdam during peak periods.
And Oh! Surprisingly, in this little game, the Volkswagen ID.7 Pro S was able to travel 941 kilometers on a single charge. Volkswagen is bragging, boasting an extension of 232 km or 32.7% compared to the mixed cycle. Consumption, finally, would have been 9.2 kWh per 100 km, or around 1 liter of Diesel equivalent for a thermal car.
By understanding the type of route chosen for this test, it is more appropriate to compare this performance with the WTLP urban autonomy value. Value that integrates maximum recharge thanks to regenerative braking and shorter acceleration phases. Thus, referring to the technical sheet of the Volkswagen ID.7 Pro S, we see that this figure is normally 852 km. Or a real differential of 89 kilometers.
We are already a little further from the 232 km of reduction promised by the German manufacturer. Above all, we understand that the approval standards do not mean much. Far from reality, both in the mind and during the tests, we can clearly see that between Europe, the United States and China, the figures show gigantic differences.
With 709 km promised in the combined cycle, we mainly remember that the ID.7 is capable of a motorway journey of around 400 km without stopping. And its recharges, up to 200 kW, allow you to quickly recover 300 km of autonomy in the space of 30 minutes of break. This is the real performance of an electric car these days: its ability not to remain immobilized for long.
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