- Rainer Zietlow has done 17 long-distance drives since 2005 in Volkswagen models
- Drive route planned to incorporate stops at more than 200 Electrify America stations
- Zietlow will be driving Volkswagen’s first long-range EV for the U.S. market
Herndon, VA — Volkswagen of America, Volkswagen Credit Inc., and Electrify America have teamed with long-distance driving expert Rainer Zietlow for a new challenge – crisscrossing the United States on a mission to visit more than 600 Volkswagen dealers in 48 states with the new ID.4 EV.
The attempt will take Zietlow and driving partner Derek Collins on a counterclockwise loop of the country, starting and ending in Herndon, Virginia. The duo anticipates driving through 48 states and making use of more than 200 Electrify America charging stations, highlighting both the durability of the ID.4 and the breadth of the charging network.
Zietlow has undertaken 17 long-distance projects on all continents since 2005, all in Volkswagen vehicles. “The VW ID.4 is designed to bring electric vehicles to the mainstream,” said Zietlow. “It is more than suited for a long-distance drive with space for plenty of gear and the technology that compact SUV buyers want.” With its EPA-estimated range of 250 miles in ID.4 1st Edition and Pro S rear-wheel-drive models, and DC fast charging capability that allows a recharge from 5 percent to 80 percent capacity in 38 minutes at a public DC fast charger, the ID.4 is well suited for the challenge.
The team will rely heavily on Electrify America for recharging the ID.4, as it has the nation’s largest open DC fast-charging network with more than 635 charging stations and more than 2,700 individual DC fast chargers. Electrify America plans to have a total of 800 charging stations and about 3,500 DC fast chargers open or under development by the end of 2021. “This is a great time for electric vehicles in the U.S.,” says Zietlow. “There is a lot of investment in infrastructure and Electrify America is at the forefront.”lks
Zietlow and Collins will be chronicling the event at vwid4-usatour.com, where visitors to the website can also monitor the location of the ID.4 in real-time.
Images courtesy of Volkswagen