Exactly. There is absolutely no problem with the demand for BEVs, even in this economically unstable time. Just ask Tesla and BYD, and several other BEV makers. The truth is the car has to be really good, and the VW ID3 [and cousin Cupra Born] just doesn’t cut it at the price. In terms of being a basic car it’s fine. It goes quite well, brakes quite well, handles quite well. The interior is ok-ish [seats are actually comfortable]. But there’s that awful software, which some people forgive it for, but it should be way better. And then there’s the price. My 150kW/58kWh ID3 started out at £27-28K, back in 2021. Which was ok then, but now it’s £10+K more, and that’s ridiculous.
As for the ID4… Same software, far less performance and handling, and more room than I need. Not for me.
No, next question?
To be fair, I’ve asked myself this question a lot since I had my own BEV. The other day I went down a restricted speed lane that takes me to our Type 2 chargers at work. And I wasn’t below 12mph because someone later told me how quiet my ID3 was as they saw me go by. Which kind of concerned me as I felt I was in the pedestrian warning noise range, but I was obviously going faster than 12mph. BEVs are so quiet and smooth that judging speed is more difficult than with an old clunker ICE car. But, as pedestrians begin to change their alertness habits so will BEV drivers. All my old driving habits have subtley changed, bar going extra slow during that time because I so rarely need to do it. Omce every week or couple of weeks and even then there’s nobody about.
I just think that we all need to take responsibility. Drivers, don’t expect pedestrians to be model road users, and pedestrians don’t expect drivers to be in charge of your life if you step off the pavement into traffic. Saying all this, upto now I’ve not seen a real problem with the quietness of BEVs [hence, no next question joke]. On the contrary, every person who cycles to our company [about 6 people] generally give me a wave as I pass them in the morning. At least I’m not directly chucking poisons at them. And believe me, I’ve been on the other end - cycling to work in winter, getting to the top of a hill, lungs bursting, only to have a badly in need of service cold diesel vehicle chuck me a lung full. It’s not nice.