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ADAC endurance test VW ID.3: Battery top-notch after 100,000 kilometers - Updates mandatory

The long-term test by the automobile club with the VW ID.3 is nearing the 100,000-kilometer mark. The battery shows no abnormalities, and the club denies reports of missing battery capacity. They recommend performing all updates.

Flawless Image: The ADAC emphasizes the good condition and dismisses any reports of battery defects. | Photo: ADAC/Ralph Wagner
Flawless Image: The ADAC emphasizes the good condition and dismisses any reports of battery defects. | Photo: ADAC/Ralph Wagner
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Johannes Reichel

The automobile club ADAC has announced the interim balance for its long-term test with the important VW electric model ID.3 and attests to the good condition of the first electric volume model from Wolfsburg in terms of its battery. The engineers and testers at the ADAC Test and Technology Center in Landsberg a. Lech have a good impression of the battery, which still has a capacity of 93 percent, contrary to other reports. Statements that ADAC had detected a lack of battery capacity amounting to several kilowatt-hours and derived suspicions from this are rejected by the club. To suggest in this context that there could be systematic cheating cannot be justified by ADAC tests, the testers emphasize.

"We could detect a minimal difference between the specified net capacity and our measurements. The difference was explained together with VW's developers and is essentially based on different measurement procedures," explains ADAC company spokeswoman Katrin van Randenborgh.

Large Battery in the Worst Case Scenario

During the test, the club officials chose an ID.3 with a large battery, for which VW specifies 77 kilowatt-hours of usable energy. Only this so-called net capacity is available to drivers. The total gross capacity (82 kWh) of a battery, on the other hand, includes an additional buffer necessary for the longevity of the battery and is not available for driving.

"The net capacity is the decisive factor for electric car drivers. We therefore call on all manufacturers to specify this," says Reinhard Kolke, Head of Testing and Technology at ADAC. VW is very transparent in this regard, unlike other manufacturers. So far, the specification of battery size is voluntary and not mandatory.

Due to technical reasons, the performance of lithium-ion batteries, such as those installed in the ID.3, decreases over time and use. In the case of the long-term test, it is additionally complicated by the fact that 100,000 kilometers in fast-forward mode represent the worst-case scenario for the battery: the battery was usually charged to 100 percent contrary to the recommendation in order to provide the next tester with the maximum range as possible.

Good Condition Despite Fast-Forward Mode

Nevertheless, the club certifies that the battery is in good condition even after 100,000 kilometers: With a state of health (SoH) of 93 percent read from the battery management system (BMS), the ID.3 remains well within expectations after 100,000 kilometers.

"The battery condition can be classified as harmless and is well above the 74 percent that VW promises as part of its new car warranty at 100,000 kilometers," Kolke explains.

In addition, regular battery tests were carried out by Aviloo over the duration. The most recent test also showed a usable battery capacity of 93 percent in the interim balance. Differences in the net capacity between VW's specified 77 kWh and Aviloo's test result - Aviloo determined about 74 kWh when new up to the display showing 0 km range, and most recently around 69 kWh - can be explained by three effects: Firstly, VW's specification includes the emergency reserve. It retains energy for a few more kilometers at zero percent battery status and is part of the net capacity. Secondly, the inevitable aging of the battery comes with time.

Updates are Mandatory: Charging Power Increased to 170 kW

The third effect for a deviation: For the manufacturer's specification, the battery is evenly discharged. However, during the measurement in real driving operation on the road, the battery is discharged while driving and recharged by recuperation when braking. This results in minimal charging and discharging losses each time, which add up and can result in a certain difference.

From the long-term test, the auto club also takes away a clear recommendation: Software updates for one's own car should generally be installed. During the long-term test, the VW ID.3 received several software updates. In addition to various bug fixes, the updates brought an increase in charging power to up to 170 kW. However, this is only achieved when the battery reaches its operating temperature. The updates also had a positive effect on consumption and thus range over the duration. In particular, with the new software, electricity consumption on short distances and winter temperatures from 0 to 5 ° C improved significantly. The reason is a changed heating strategy for the battery.

The club continues the long-term test: The next goal for the ID.3 is now 160,000 kilometers. Then the manufacturer's warranty on the battery expires, and the risk of a potential battery defect transfers to the customer.

Translated automatically from German.
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