Can an Electric Car Work as a Family Car? The Car Mom Puts the VW ID.4 to the Test
Kids. Car seats. Costco. Date night. How Did the VW ID.4 measure up?
Kelly Stumpe, the Car Mom, knows this routine well. She regularly tests out cars for her audience of moms who also have kids, work, routines and errands on their weekly to-do list. We asked Kelly Stumpe, aka @The_Car_Mom, to spend a week with the all-new all electric SUV, the Volkswagen ID.4 and see if an EV could fit her busy family life.
At first, she was skeptical. She commutes 27 miles each way to work every day, that’s after she drops her two young children at daycare. With such a long commute, plus shopping, meal planning, appointments and more, could an EV work for Kelly?
This series, How She Does It, was produced in partnership with Volkswagen of America to explore how the ID.4 can work for daily life. You can see more of these stories here, the full video series here. And follow the hashtag #SheDrivesElectric to discover more!
How Does the VW ID.4 Fit with the Car Mom Life?
Two car seats and a stroller, a grocery store run, getting to work and back in time to pick up the kids, then dinner, baths and prep for the next day. And that’s a typical day for Kelly, who drives 55+ miles each day. Her car is critical to her life; she needs the space and flexibility of a family car. When we asked her to test drive the Volkswagen ID.4 electric car, she was skeptical that it could keep up with her.
Although she says she’s not what you’d think of as someone who would be a “typical” candidate for an electric car, she was surprised at how well the ID.4 worked for her life. Not only did she end each day with an impressive amount of battery range left, but she was able to fuel it on her terms, not in a rush on the way to somewhere.
“I’m Queen of ‘I’ll get gas in the morning,'” she says (and that’s a competitive title!). “I’m always running 5 minutes late when I have to go get gas.” But having an EV meant she could ‘fuel it up’ at night while everyone is sleeping, which also made her feel productive. Kelly also enjoyed ‘putting the ID.4 to bed’ at night so it could charge in her garage at home. Who wouldn’t love to wake up with a “full tank” and give up gas station stops altogether?!?
Related: The Future of Volkswagen is Called ID. This is the VW ID.4 All-Electric SUV
Take a Car Mom Car Tour of the VW ID.4 With Kelly
Kelly’s car tours have become a social media destination for many moms, and she loved showing off the VW ID.4 to her viewers. She particularly loved the all-around look of the ID.4 body style including the body-colored door handles and white badging. The wheels ‘scream’ electric vehicle and the back end has a fresh look and a white logo badge.
The interior design is modern and clean and Kelly really loved the light gray seats. She noted that VW’s designers did something smart: although the seats are light, the floors, dash, and other elements are dark, keeping the car looking clean and fresh.
Then, she showed how her kids car seats, both rear facing, fit in the ID.4, and even left a bit of space between their seats and hers, which was set for her driving position. Though she’s 6′ tall, there was plenty of room for the kids seats and she was impressed. She also loved how she was able to get a full Costco haul into the cargo area with the stroller and other kid gear. She had plenty of room for everything, which was a surprise.
And, the ID.4 passed the “Car Mom” water bottle test: Kelly regularly tests out her favorite water bottles in door pockets and cup holders. The configurable center cubby, which can be changed to accommodate larger water bottles or other things, was a favorite.
Got an EV Question? Ask the Car Mom!
When Kelly shared that she was going to test drive the VW ID.4, her audience had plenty of questions. So, she sat down to answer them and share her advice and opinions on EVs and family cars.
For instance, does an EV owner need to buy a special charger for home charging? No, and in fact, Kelly found that the regular 110v plug in her garage was fine for charging the VW ID.4. Another viewer wanted to know how the ID.4 fares in cold weather; this is a question that VW’s engineers have been working on and typically, drivers won’t see a huge difference. But the big question: Do EVs require a lot of maintenance? Happily, no. Without all the moving parts and fluids, Kelly explained, owners can actually reduce their car maintenance bills.
But can an electric car really fit family life, and is it right for families? Kelly proved through her week with the ID.4 that it would work for her and her busy life.
See more about Kelly’s experience and that of race car driver Annika Carter and journalist Alicia Quarles on our YouTube channel!
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Categorized:Car Reviews Electric Cars