VW raising ID.4 prices by $1,500 on Jan 4, sees more availability coming
VW has sent out an email to ID.4 reservation holders detailing a series of changes that will be made for all ID.4s assembled after January 4, including a price hike, battery supplier changes, and an end to the reservation system as VW predicts ample availability at dealerships.
The $1,500 MSRP increase comes to all 2023 ID.4 SUVs assembled on January 4th or later. Cars assembled before that date will maintain the old MSRP. VW won’t update their website until January 4th, but sent out a table with the new MSRP numbers for all trim levels.
These prices will also apply to current reservation holders. VW says that the actual price of each car will be set by VW dealers, and that their reservation was never meant to “lock in” a price. But we have seen several reservation holders who feel understandably aggrieved by this news of a price hike before they take delivery of a vehicle they’ve been waiting patiently for.
| ID.4 Trim | MSRP |
| ID.4 Standard | $38,995 |
| ID.4 S | $43,995 |
| ID.4 Pro | $43,995 |
| ID.4 AWD Pro | $47,795 |
| ID.4 Pro S | $48,995 |
| ID.4 AWD Pro S | $52,795 |
| ID.4 Pro S Plus | $51,445 |
| ID.4 AWD Pro S Plus | $55,245 |
VW already increased prices on the 2023 ID.4 by about $1,500 across the board back in August, though they also announced a lower-priced base model. In addition to this, the 2023 model qualifies for tax credits because it’s built in the US, whereas the 2022 model didn’t.
Further, especially right now with high EV demand across the board, you may not be able to find an ID.4 for MSRP, so you may have to do some negotiation with your dealer.
Thankfully, VW sees availability increasing. Due to the production numbers they’re seeing out of their Tennessee plant, VW plans to stop taking new ID.4 reservations going forward. The last day to place a reservation will be January 4th. Soon after that, VW thinks ID.4s will be readily available in their dealerships. VW will maintain their reservation list and keep working through it for any reservations placed before that date.
Part of the reason for this increased availability is due to a change in battery suppliers. Previous ID.4 model years used LG batteries, though the 2023 model was going to switch to SK batteries.
But VW is now contracting for battery supply from both SK Innovation and LG Chem, specifically for RWD vehicles with the larger 82kWh “Pro” pack. From now on, any given RWD 82kWh ID.4 may have a battery from either LG or SK. AWD cars and 62kWh “Standard” and “S” trims will have SK-supplied batteries.
ID.4s with the SK-supplied battery will have faster DC charge speeds, with a 170kW peak instead of 135kW. While VW states that an LG-supplied 82kWh battery can charge from 10-80% in about 36 minutes, the SK-supplied batteries will be able to do the same charge in about 30 minutes, assuming they are on a charger fast enough to supply these peak rates. On slower chargers, both cars should get similar charging speeds.
VW says that you can find out who supplied the battery for your vehicle by looking at the Monroney label affixed to every car, or by logging into your My ID.4 Reservation account. There is also an FAQ there with additional answers.
Battery suppliers may be additionally relevant to buyers due to EV tax credit changes in the Inflation Reduction Act. That act includes requirements for domestic or free trade sourcing of battery components and critical minerals. LG and SK are both Korean companies, but both are currently building battery plants in the US, with SK producing ID.4 batteries at their facility in Georgia.
Those sourcing requirements were set to go into effect by the end of the year, but the US Treasury delayed their guidance to “some time in March.” So for the time being, ID.4s which are assembled in Tennessee should qualify for the full $7,500 EV credit. We’ll hear more soon about whether or not they’ll qualify for the full credit after March.
Electrek’s Take
We understand that there’s a lot of change happening in the EV industry right now, with companies desperately trying to secure battery supply, comply with new tax credit requirements, manage supply chain disruptions and the inflation they are causing, and so on.
But surprising reservation holders with yet another price increase does seem a bit unfair. VW is a large enough company, and they should have worked through enough reservation holders by now, that allowing current reservation holders to lock in their prices would be reasonable. This additional $1,500 isn’t going to be make-or-break for them, but it may be the straw that broke the camel’s back for some customers.
Last year, VW compensated ID.4 reservation holders after a price increase, but we have not heard any similar plan for them to do so this year. Given that there is precedent for this sort of thing, perhaps they could offer a similar program for current reservation holders, assuming they take delivery whenever VW offers it to them.
If you’re looking for a 2023 VW ID.4, check your local dealer inventory and see if you can find one in stock. If you want to get in before the $1,500 price hike, you’ll have to find a car that was built before Jan 4 2023. But also look for a car that was built in the US in order to qualify for the US tax credit. While VW is still delivering to reservation holders, a few dealers may have inventory.
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With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.
When Tesla pulled the wraps off its all electric Semi truck all the way back in November of 2017, the rest of the industry was hardly thinking about BEVs. Nearly a decade later, the world is still waiting for the Semi to begin regular production, and PACCAR is launching its second generation of HDEVs with the debut of this, the all-new Kenworth T880E vocational truck.
“The Kenworth T880E marks a groundbreaking milestone in Kenworth’s history as we bring to market the first Class 8 battery-electric solution built for vocational applications,” explains Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The T880E is engineered to meet the evolving needs of operators and vocational fleets while still providing the durability, reliability and customization our customers expect.”
The new electric K-whopper is motivated by PACCAR’s in-house ePowertrain platform, capable of putting up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of peak torque to work, while delivering the same levels of drivability and dependability fleets expect from a Kenworth – but power and torque are only part of the T880E’s work-ready résumé.
Open to work
In addition to a stout, Class 8 electric chassis fitted with heavy-duty Kenworth brakes and axles, the T880E’s central drive eMotor allows for significant wheelbase flexibility so fleet buyers can spec out exactly the machine they need to get the job done. The T880E was also designed to enable lift axle installations from trusted Kenworth upfitters for a vocational-friendly BEV integration.
Additionally, the T880E features a wide selection of factory-installed options that include both high- and low-voltage ePTO (electric Power Take Off) ports, mechanical ePTOs, and the same wide array of body configurations as the ICE version.
Speaking of the ICE version, the electric T880E also can also be had in the same set-back front axle and set-forward front axle configurations with the same multi-piece hood construction. Inside the cab, the latest in driver-focused technology includes the Kenworth SmartWheel and a new 15″ DriverConnect digital touchscreen. Dash and vocational features like RAM Mounts and factory-installed PTO switches are available. The T880E is also offered with Kenworth ADAS packages for customers interested in DigitalVision Mirrors, Bendix Fusion, and Lane Keeping Assist.
It’s so big, you guys
The T880E was on static display at last week’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Check with your local Kenworth dealer for availability.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Kenworth.
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The tire-blistering SU7 Ultra has been the Xiaomi brand’s flagship super sedan since its launch, but a controversial software setting has limited the car to “just” 900 hp in regular driving – resulting in an outcry from owners who ponied up for the big boy numbers. With its latest software update, that missing 648 hp is back on tap!
The SU7 Ultra made waves throughout the performance car world when a bright yellow striped example lined up alongside a white quarter mile king, the 1,000+ hp Tesla Model S Plaid, and promptly smoked it.
That wasn’t all. A preproduction SU7 Ultra prototype lapped the legendary Nürburgring circuit in just 6 minutes and 46.874 seconds, firmly stamping the 1,500+ hp Xiaomi’s alphanumeric into the track’s record books with a time nearly fifteen seconds quicker than a Rimac Nevera or, on the ICE front, either a Corvette ZR1, Viper ACR, or Porsche 918 (take your pick).
It’s hardly any wonder, then, that the customers who signed up – in droves, too – were disappointed to learn that the SU7 they were allowed to buy had been neutered by the safety nannies to the tune of nearly 650 hp. (!)
We’re so back
The outrage from SU7 Ultra owners was immediate. And, facing mounting pressure online and on social media, Xiaomi ultimately decided to withdraw the performance-limiting features while acknowledging the need for more transparent communication about future software updates they messed up, saying in a statement, “we appreciate the passionate feedback from our community and will ensure better transparency moving forward.”
So, rich people can rocket themselves down the road in 9 second hypercars again and all is right with the world. A happy ending – but one that sort of illuminates a fresh set challenges for automakers peddling “software-defined vehicles” to a market that still thinks of their cars as very much hardware defined products.
That’s evidenced by the resistance to pay for features by subscription and complaints by more informed customers that “software locked” range and convenience features just subsidize the cost of more expensive trim levels and pad profits for manufacturers and suppliers.
The new reality is playing out in real time now, and the Jeff Bezos-backed $20,000 electric compact pickup from Slate Auto is going the other way entirely – time will tell whether more, or less tech is the answer.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Xiaomi, via CarNewsChina.
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Tesla (TSLA) has started offering reduced interest rates on the new Model Y in the US — this equates to a direct discount on the brand new vehicle that was supposed to spark Tesla’s demand back.
The automaker has announced “1.99% APR or $0 Due at Signing available for well-qualified buyers” on the new Model Y in the US for the first time:
This amounts to a direct discount worth a few thousand dollars. It is the first widely available discount on the new Model Y coming just weeks after the cheaper non-Launch Edition launched in the US.
It follows a $2,000 direct discount that Tesla offered to early Model Y owners last week.
These discounts and subsidized financing point to soft demand for the updated best-selling vehicle in the US. Tesla just delivered a disastrous first quarter, which it mostly blamed on the Model Y changeover, resulting in lower inventory.
However, industry watchers, including Electrek, noted many signs that the Model Y changeover was not the only issue. Tesla added significantly to its inventory in the first quarter, and the wait times for the new Model Y were extremely short.
Now, the discount weeks after launching the new Model Y confirm the soft demand in the US.
It’s not as bad as Europe and China, where Tesla has already been offering 0% financing on the new Model Y for weeks.
Electrek’s Take
I think it’s clear by now: the new Model Y is not coming to save Tesla.
Let’s be honest: It will still be a significant vehicle program by volume. It just won’t help Tesla return to growth this year.
The RWD Model Y is still coming and has a chance to help in the US. It is already available in China, and it’s not helping Tesla much there, but that’s in a hyper-competitive market, especially at lower prices where the RWD Model Y operates.
Tesla’s performance in Q2 in China will be interesting since it is basically back to its regular lineup for the whole quarter.
The US appears to have been Tesla’s least affected market, but Q3 will be the real test with the full lineup and no backlog of demand for new Model Y.
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