Photo: fxckingrich via Reddit
Nearly two weeks ago, a conversation over Zoom (or whatever it is high-ranking CEOs use for video conferencing) between VW Group CEO Dr. Herbert Diess, and Volkswagen Group of America CEO Scott Keogh, suggested the upcoming ID.4 electric crossover would not be positioned against Tesla's Model Y on the market.
That seemed like a reasonable approach to us. Tesla has a strong foothold in its home market, whereas Volkswagen still has to deal with a few skeletons before being able to emerge clean and unburdened by its past. The best way to do it would be by launching a competitive zero-emissions vehicle as a form of apology and a sign of things to come. People haven't forgotten Dieselgate, so Volkswagen coming out and saying "we're the new Messiah of electric mobility" would be too much too soon. A little restraint would take the German company a long way.
Now, though, we learn that VW might not be as reserved with the upcoming ID.4 as we previously thought. A picture posted on Reddit (by user fxckingrich) that allegedly depicts the slide of an internal VW presentation shows that not only is the company comparing the two vehicles (of course it is), but it actually suggests the ID.4 will be superior in a lot of aspects.
Looking at the side-by-side comparison, it's hard to disagree. The ID.4 comes in a more compact package (17 cm - 6.7 inches - shorter and 12.4 cm - 4.9 inches - shorter wheelbase), and yet it somehow offers more interior room (by 6 cm - 2.3 inches - apparently, though we're not entirely clear how that was calculated). It also has less of a dip in the roofline at the back (the ID.4 is the blue outline while the Model Y is the red one) despite being 1.2 cm (0.5 inches) shorter overall in height.
Volkswagen admits the Model Y is superior when it comes to acceleration, but it says it's "not volume market relevant". Despite what Tesla would have you believe, that's probably one hundred percent accurate, especially when you think about the buyer profile that Keogh and Diess were talking about: current Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 owners.
Another area where the ID.4 is inferior to the Model Y is the charging speed. The Volkswagen is credited with a maximum DC rate of 125 kW, whereas the Model Y can take advantage of Tesla's latest generation Superchargers that provide up to 250 kW. And speaking of charging, the network itself is another strong point for Tesla that this presentation doesn't even touch upon.
The bullet list that goes over the ID.4's advantages also lists the high-quality interior, which isn't saying particularly much when you compare it to the Model Y's meme-level quality control. The "VW.OS and digitalization (mass-relevant use cases)" bullet might leave some people confused, but VW actually has a point. Tesla is definitely ahead of VW in terms of digitalization, but what the Germans point out here is that their product won't go against analog controls just for the sake of it, but only where it provides an advantage for most users. That shows they're keeping a rational approach and not looking to innovate where there's no need to.
The bullet point we find the most baffling is the one at the end saying "more software-centered." Who is? Ask anyone, and they'll say there is no more software-centric car out there than a Tesla. Is Volkswagen claiming the ID.4 has Elon Musk's EVs beat on that point? Or is the mention in reference to Tesla and seen as a weakness, rather than a selling point. We tend to think VW isn't completely delusional and it's the latter, particularly since it comes after the one mentioning Tesla's superior acceleration and charging speed.
Obviously, even if Volkswagen isn't targeting Tesla directly, it needs to have its salesforce prepared to know how to counter any pro-Model Y argument the moment the ID.4 hits its showrooms. We don't know about you, but we think it can make a pretty strong case for itself based on this list, with the sole caveat of the ID.4's EPA range, which is still a mystery. If that'll be close to the Model Y's, the German electric crossover has all the makings of a success story.
Now, though, we learn that VW might not be as reserved with the upcoming ID.4 as we previously thought. A picture posted on Reddit (by user fxckingrich) that allegedly depicts the slide of an internal VW presentation shows that not only is the company comparing the two vehicles (of course it is), but it actually suggests the ID.4 will be superior in a lot of aspects.
Looking at the side-by-side comparison, it's hard to disagree. The ID.4 comes in a more compact package (17 cm - 6.7 inches - shorter and 12.4 cm - 4.9 inches - shorter wheelbase), and yet it somehow offers more interior room (by 6 cm - 2.3 inches - apparently, though we're not entirely clear how that was calculated). It also has less of a dip in the roofline at the back (the ID.4 is the blue outline while the Model Y is the red one) despite being 1.2 cm (0.5 inches) shorter overall in height.
Volkswagen admits the Model Y is superior when it comes to acceleration, but it says it's "not volume market relevant". Despite what Tesla would have you believe, that's probably one hundred percent accurate, especially when you think about the buyer profile that Keogh and Diess were talking about: current Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 owners.
Another area where the ID.4 is inferior to the Model Y is the charging speed. The Volkswagen is credited with a maximum DC rate of 125 kW, whereas the Model Y can take advantage of Tesla's latest generation Superchargers that provide up to 250 kW. And speaking of charging, the network itself is another strong point for Tesla that this presentation doesn't even touch upon.
The bullet list that goes over the ID.4's advantages also lists the high-quality interior, which isn't saying particularly much when you compare it to the Model Y's meme-level quality control. The "VW.OS and digitalization (mass-relevant use cases)" bullet might leave some people confused, but VW actually has a point. Tesla is definitely ahead of VW in terms of digitalization, but what the Germans point out here is that their product won't go against analog controls just for the sake of it, but only where it provides an advantage for most users. That shows they're keeping a rational approach and not looking to innovate where there's no need to.
The bullet point we find the most baffling is the one at the end saying "more software-centered." Who is? Ask anyone, and they'll say there is no more software-centric car out there than a Tesla. Is Volkswagen claiming the ID.4 has Elon Musk's EVs beat on that point? Or is the mention in reference to Tesla and seen as a weakness, rather than a selling point. We tend to think VW isn't completely delusional and it's the latter, particularly since it comes after the one mentioning Tesla's superior acceleration and charging speed.
Obviously, even if Volkswagen isn't targeting Tesla directly, it needs to have its salesforce prepared to know how to counter any pro-Model Y argument the moment the ID.4 hits its showrooms. We don't know about you, but we think it can make a pretty strong case for itself based on this list, with the sole caveat of the ID.4's EPA range, which is still a mystery. If that'll be close to the Model Y's, the German electric crossover has all the makings of a success story.
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