Volkswagen ID.7 Goes 941 Kilometers (585 Miles) On One Charge – CleanTechnica

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The Volkswagen ID.7 may not have won 2024 CleanTechnica Car of the Year in Europe, grabbing the silver medal instead, but it’s an extremely capable, compelling, and cool car that deserves more attention than it gets. The company is pulling in a little bit more of that attention today. A non-modified, standard VW ID.7 Pro S just drove 941 kilometers (585 miles) on a single charge. It used just 9.2 kWh of electricity per 100 km on the drive, which was admittedly an efficiency test drive, not a normal road trip. Though, Volkswagen adds that, “with its highly efficient drive, 86-kWh battery and top aerodynamics (drag coefficient of 0.23), the ID.7 Pro S can also achieve very long ranges in everyday use.”

The ID.7’s rated range is 709 km (441 miles) using Europe’s WLTP rating standard. So, first of all, the car did start from a much higher standard range base than most electric cars. It’s one of the big selling points of the ID.7. Additionally, though, it just emphasizes for anyone new to the topic that if you try to drive efficiently (most notably in an EV, if you drive slower — around 30 km/h), you can get a lot more driving distance out of a battery. If you ever find yourself running out of range too quickly on a road trip, start driving slower. That actually goes for someone driving any type of vehicle if they’re running out of fuel too quickly.

Here are more numbers and details from Volkswagen on this drive: “Volkswagen has reached a new efficiency milestone on a circuit in Nardò, southern Italy: an ID.7 Pro S with a standard technology package and 210 kW (286 PS) covered a distance of 941 kilometres on just one battery charge (86 kWh net). This significantly exceeded the model’s maximum WLTP range (combined) of up to 709 kilometres by 232 kilometres or 32.7 percent. During the 941-kilometre tour, the ID.7 Pro S had an average consumption of just 9.2 kWh/100 km — an exceptionally low figure. Converted to a diesel equivalent, the average consumption achieved in Nardò corresponds to about just 1 litre per 100 km. The aim of the test in Nardò was to determine the maximum efficiency of the ID.7 Pro S introduced in 2024.”

The aim might have been testing the car’s limits, but the most practical use of this test is in marketing and helping more people to understand that if you drive a car slowly, you can get a lot more kilometers (or miles) out of a charge. They also note that the speeds driven were quite similar to rush hour traffic speeds, implying that you can get much more than the rated range when commuting in the city. “The average speed during the efficiency test was 29 km/h, which corresponds to typical rush hour speeds in large cities. According to the latest ‘Traffic Index’ from navigation specialist TomTom, this figure ranges from 22 km/h (Hamburg) to 31 km/h (Amsterdam).”

Notably, this test was done in December, with temperatures between 5 to 15 degrees Celsius. The cold temperatures would require a bit more energy use, so Volkswagen’s 941 kilometer achievement could certainly be beaten.

Volkswagen notes that extreme efficiency and longer than normal range were two key goals when developing the ID.7. It is supposed to exceed expectations, and far exceed needs. It is now Volkswagen’s flagship sedan. “The ID.7 Pro S with an 86-kWh battery (net) is designed as a series production model for the greatest possible efficiency and has one of the highest ranges in its class of electric vehicle,” Volkswagen writes. “The foundations for the extraordinary efficiency of the ID.7 Pro S are the strong strong aerodynamics and state-of-the-art drive system. The drag coefficient is a low 0.23 (depending on equipment). The innovative, high-efficiency drive, known as the ‘APP550’, is as economical as it is powerful. The electric drive motor integrated into the rear axle develops a maximum torque of 545 newton metres, enables the ID.7 to consume between 16.2 and 13.6 kWh/100 km in the official WLTP cycle and still accelerates the ID.7 Pro S from standstill to 100 km/h in a sporty 6.6 seconds if required.”

The flip side of range on a road trip is charging. If you have great range but extremely slow charging, that’s not great. If you have extremely fast charging but low range, that’s not great. But if you have excellent range and super fast charging, that’s superb. Of course, as Volkswagen’s flagship car, the ID.7 has both. “The ID.7 Pro S also charges particularly quickly while on the road thanks to a DC charging capacity of up to 200 kW,” Volkswagen adds. “With this charging capacity, it takes on energy for a further 244 kilometres in just 10 minutes. At full DC charging capacity, the battery is charged from 10 to 80 per cent in about 26 minutes.” Really, for the amount of driving you’ll be doing between charges, that’s just enough time to go to the bathroom, grab a snack and/or some coffee, and get back in your seat.

Volkswagen also boasts that the ID.7 is now selling very well in Europe. “We are seeing a positive trend in incoming orders in Europe and are currently selling more ID.7 models than Passat. This shows that the ID.7 is a meaningful all-electric addition to the brand’s product portfolio and, in addition to our successful Passat, is also suitable for long distance drivers and as a company car,” Martin Sander, member of the Board of Management responsible for Sales, Marketing, and After Sales at the Volkswagen brand, said. Of course, we already knew the ID.7 was selling quite well thanks to our monthly Europe EV sales reports. It was reported last month that the ID.7 had risen to 6th on Europe’s top selling EVs list. Only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, the Skoda Enyaq, Volvo EX30 (2024 CleanTechnica Car of the Year), and Volkswagen’s own ID.4 were above it — and none of them is in the class the ID.7 is in.

Congratulations to Volkswagen on the extremely capable, classy, and popular ID.7. Let us know if you have experience with one, and especially if you’ve taken one on long trips and can report back on real-world range and charging.