Ok so I got to test drive the new electric Volkswagon ID.4 at the studio this week, and hear me out - while it's not the most thrilling thing in the world, this is exactly the type of thing we need to start seeing more of for electric vehicles to catch on/take over. (Thread)

So you know how at the end of the Porsche Taycan video I praised them for not taking the easy route and creating an electric version of something they already make? I'll stand by that for $150K...

BUT that's actually what regular people WANT to see in their first electric car. Familiarity. And the ID4 has that. It also has:

250 mile range
77kwH accessible battery
125Kw charging
Sub $40K starting price

Tesla is slowly working their way down in price, but nobody is mass producing a GOOD $25K electric YET.

Also I've noticed: For as much familiar stuff as this car has, there's still a few main things EVERY electric car will do different that the world will adjust to:

Regen: The ID.4 has a D gear that drives and coasts like a regular car, but a separate "R" mode that applies regenerative braking through the motors when you take your foot off the accelerator (It's hard to remember not to say "gas pedal")

This is always better for efficiency

Aero caps. They are always ugly. My god, they're ugly. But for efficiency's sake, they're gonna be come a thing. At least in the beginning. Teslas, Taycans and every efficient car I've seen makes some use of them. These here aren't bad.

Charging: The ID.4 supports 125Kw charging with the Electrify America network. Same as the Taycan. Gonna need that network to continue to grow the same way Tesla's has, since people need the confidence that they can charge anywhere in a pinch just like gas.

Also don't charge like this Taycan is, parked across 2 spaces. I get it, it's a precious car, man. But charging etiquitte is real and this ain't it, chief

Noises! Electric cars are basically silent, which actually makes them a little more dangerous in parking lots and slow roads when people can't hear you coming. So fake noise will be added to new electric cars at low speeds. Here's the ID.4 fake sound under 20mph

Ok that's it, thanks for coming to my TED talk. Electric cars are the future. More competition is better for all of us