Ed Stoffel

I recently took a look at VW’s electric vehicle they call ID.4 -

There’s a lot to like about the car, and they’ve made some good decisions. I was pleased to find it had more than enough legroom for me (6’0”). On a test drive, I liked the way it handled.

I like the dash layout, and how the instrument cluster screen moves when you adjust the steering column.

The car has some improvements since the ID.4 was first introduced. The current offering is particularly enticing with a federal tax rebate AND VW’s 3-yrs of free use of their Electrify America charging network.

The screen is capable of using Apple’s CarPlay and/or Android Auto for phone integration. Their website has all the details of the car’s features, and you can “build” a vehicle with all your choices (without obligation to complete a purchase) and see if it’s right for you. There are also a number of car reviews on YouTube that walk thru the car’s offering, but make sure it’s the current edition, not the first edition from last year.

In the end, the battery range isn’t quite enough to handle the worst-case scenarios of my 158 mi/day commute, which requires I have enough range, assuming only 60% capacity in the coldest part of the winter when battery efficiency can be significantly less than advertised. But for many people, this vehicle would be great, and for those who live near work, they could commute for days before needing to recharge.

VW’s ID.4

I’ve been trying to come up with a way to store bulk supplies other than cluttering up the bathroom. Buying in bulk shouldn’t mean making a mess. Then I remembered having some old cassette tape organizers long past the need for them. I just pulled out most of the spacers, making room to put the sizes of containers I need to store, & set it on the shelf in the back of a closet. I could have hung it inside the closet instead. Easy to do, & out of sight.