Volkswagen ID.3 Pro.
The electric Golf, otherwise known as the ID.3. The questions the showroom avoids.

The VW ID.3 is the first electric model on the MEB platform, a car that saw the light of day in 2020. It was meant to be the "Golf of a new era" - compact, sensible, mass-market. The first cars had software problems, but after the 2023 LCI the ID.3 became a solid player in the C+ segment.

The ID.3's launch in September 2019 (sales from September 2020) was the moment the new MEB platform was born. Volkswagen invested more than EUR 30 billion in the switch to EVs, and the ID.3 was the proof of concept. The first cars from 2020-2021 had famous software problems, which VW spent 2 years fixing.

VW's philosophy: an EV has to cost the same as a Golf. The ID.3 started from EUR 25,000 net, which was an aggressive price for 2020. After the 2023 LCI, VW improved the interior (better materials, real buttons on the steering wheel, not just touch-sensitive ones), the screen is faster and the software is stable.

The Volkswagen ID.3 Pro is a compact BEV hatchback. Built on the MEB platform (shared with the VW ID.4, Audi Q4 e-tron and Skoda Enyaq), it offers a purely electric drivetrain without the compromises of a combustion engine. The car was launched in 2020 and received its LCI facelift in 2023.

Unlike plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and classic hybrids (HEV), the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro is a fully electric car (BEV). There's no petrol engine, no fuel tank, no exhaust. All of its range comes from the battery, which you charge from a socket. Its most important trait comes from that category: a single overnight charging session is enough for the daily commute.

The pack, 62 kWh gross and 58 kWh net (Pro version), comes from LG Energy Solution. The NCM 622 cells are more conservative in terms of density, but offer better cycle life. The pack sits in the floor and weighs 380 kg. Liquid cooling.

A 4 kWh buffer protects the cells. VW guarantees the pack for 8 years or 160,000 kilometres, down to 70 per cent of capacity. Real-world measurements from 2020-2022 ID.3 cars show 3-5 per cent degradation per year (worse because of early BMS problems). After the 2023 LCI, a new BMS version improved the situation.

The 2023 ID.3 LCI got everything the first generation lacked: a new 12-inch screen, a better button layout, active OTA updates, DC raised from 100 kW to 120 kW. The Pro S version with a 77 kWh battery (like the ID.4) is there for people who need more range.

The ID.3 Pro (RWD) has a single PMSM synchronous motor at the rear, 150 kW (204 hp) and 310 Nm. Single-speed reduction gearbox. The GTX version adds a motor at the front, giving a total of 286 hp. There's no AWD version of the regular ID.3.

The ID.3 offers Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual modes. Regenerative braking has two levels (D and B), selected with the stalk. There's no Sport mode for the 204 hp version (it only comes in the GTX). Real-world consumption of 15-17 kWh/100 km in summer, 19-22 kWh in winter.

The Volkswagen ID.3 Pro has a built-in onboard charger, or OBC (On-Board Charger), with a limit of 11 kW (three-phase, 16 A). That means that whatever the external source (wallbox, portable charger, public AC station), the car will physically cap the power at that value. Standard Type 2 (Mennekes) connector.

VW decided from the start that 11 kW AC is the MEB standard. The ID.3 has no 22 kW option (even though the Audi e-tron GT, on a different platform, does). The reason: the cost of the OBC and the fact that the typical compact-car customer charges on single-phase at home.

The most common sales myth: dealers suggest that the fastest home charging is a wallbox. That's a half-truth. A wallbox is simply a charger in a wall-mounted housing. From the car's point of view there's no difference between an 11 kW wallbox and an 11 kW portable charger plugged into a CEE socket. The charging parameters are identical. For the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro you'll get the fastest home charging from a portable charger or a wallbox rated at 11 kW. The portable one has an edge: you can take it to the summer house, to a hotel, to your in-laws.

The Volkswagen ID.3 Pro doesn't exist in a vacuum. The compact BEV hatchback segment has three natural rivals worth comparing it with on charging, range and price. Each of them has a different philosophy and different strengths.

The third important rival in the segment: Cupra Born. 11 kW AC, 58-77 kWh (the same platform!), 231 hp, 424 km. The sporty take on the ID.3.

When does the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro win? A specific combination of parameters: battery, power, charging and price. For most customers in Poland it's still one of the best choices in the segment. When does it lose? The WLTP range of 424 km is, in some versions, lower than the competition's. But for 90 per cent of users it's enough anyway.

The Volkswagen ID.3 Pro has been tested by leading Polish and European motoring media and by independent EV market experts. The testers' consensus is clear: a solid car with specific strengths and weaknesses. Below is a summary of the main findings from industry tests by the motoring press and EV market analyses.

According to industry tests by the motoring press, the ID.3 Pro does 340-380 km in real-world driving, and 280-300 km in the motorway cycle. A solid electric compact now that the software has been fixed. It's a realistic assessment worth taking into account before you buy.

Independent road tests highlight the handling: the ID.3 drives like an electric Golf: without emotion, but precisely. It's good, if boring. That matters to people who value driving dynamics.

Industry analyses of the EV market indicate that the standard 11 kW AC is enough power for the ID.3. The 58 kWh battery charges to full overnight, with no need for 22 kW. That matches exactly what we see at Ampere Point.

That's exactly how we see it at Ampere Point. A customer buying a Volkswagen ID.3 Pro gets a car designed for overnight 11 kW charging. Our Q11 and P11 portable chargers are a perfect match: the full 11 kW, a Type 2 cable, 6 hours to a full battery. No wallbox, no electrician, no cutting into the wall.

The Volkswagen ID.3 Pro is a choice for someone who wants a compact BEV hatchback with a fully electric drivetrain. It's a perfect fit when: your daily commute fits within the battery's range, you have access to a socket in the garage or car park, and you accept the need for DC on the road. Charger recommendation: if you value in-app consumption monitoring and night tariff integration, choose Q11 (PLN 1,349). If a simple, reliable charger is enough for you, go for P11 (PLN 999). Both deliver the full 11 kW, both charge the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro in 6 hours, both can come with you on holiday. A 22 kW wallbox bought for a Volkswagen ID.3 Pro is a classic example of a solution looking for a problem - don't let the showroom talk you into that kind of investment.