No, VW's ID.3 is not the target of our dreams. Why? Because even in the near future a pure electric car will not be able to adapt to the dreams of average earners. The price for the basic version slips over the 30,000 € limit even with the smallest extra. In addition, VW itself estimates the range by 'only' 330 km.

Everyone knows that this is probably the most optimistic value. This is certainly not the way to drive at 130 km/h on the motorway. Also one would have to subtract something, because the next charging station probably is not exactly there, where you need it right now. And if this is defective or the load card does not work, you also need a reserve.

If you often drives the same route, then you have to cut it up differently in winter, because it needs more electricity. What do you get out of it in the end? Either you spends considerably more on an electric car, or it is only conditionally suitable, e.g. for trips to work or shopping. That almost screams for a second car for the vacation, but who can afford it?

No, we chose the ID.3 as the cover picture because we not only like it, but because it was built according to the slogan: 'A Golf with the inside dimensions of a Passat'. That's what people seem to need at least, some even more. But let us stick to what is feasible and demand affordable reason. It is actually possible to create something like this.

To do this, the ID.3 would have to be reduced to the size of the VW Golf. What is meant here is mainly the height. It would have to be 14 centimetres less, more streamlined. It would have to become, above all with a smaller cross-sectional area against the wind. Where to put the batteries? Do not even install the larger part of them at all, especially where the feet of the passengers are to go. And we also need a small center tunnel.

Yes, together with a front-wheel drive we want a three-cylinder engine under the front hood that can burn petrol in the small space. This will provide the little freedom for so long, until batteries become absolutely affordable. Until then, the ID.3 replaces 25 kWh of the battery capacity and significantly reduces the purchase price. Because it should not be a too complicated three-cylinder engine.

What does that mean? Quite simply, we don't need a turbocharger or even a compressor. We give it a high geometric compression a la Mazda Skyactive X or even more and adjust the effective with a sophisticated management of the valves. That would then be the only luxury we treat ourselves to. The raw emissions would have to be such that one would have to rely on a exhaust gas aftertreatment except three-way catalytic converter.

Yes, renunciation is called for if you want to realize a price close to 20,000 €. So it would have to be carefully examined whether direct injection would have enough effect for the higher costs. We wouldn't even need a real three-cylinder, only two of them. They are quite enough for 130 km/h on the highway. If it's mountainous or you want to drive faster, there's still the Electric motor.

What are we gonna do with the third cylinder? This is to compensate for those torque differences that are really a problem with a two-cylinder engine. And then it gets a bit more complicated. Because despite all the economy, we will probably not succeed in dissuading future buyers from buying an air conditioning system. The mere thought that the car could then be almost unsaleable is enough to drive us to the next level. the people to buy one such.

So with the third cylinder we build an air conditioning system. No, not only for the passangers and not just for cooling. We also use it for heating and purchase the engine, the electronics and the batteries. with one. So there is no more system with water and antifreeze. We also want to rationalize away this very expensive and dangerous r1234yf in case of fire. Instead CO₂ would be hip, combined with a very clever computer control.

It would always send heat or cold exactly where it is needed. The combustion engine could therefore be driven in pure electric mode, precisely because of the one cylinder, that replaces the compressor. Thanks to the intelligent engine control, the other two cylinders would be switched to pull-through, could even compress pure air, if an especially fast heating of the interior would be desirable.

The driver would only have a slider inside with the extremes 'Comfortable' and 'Economical'. Admittedly, this is a Herculean task, but should not be a problem for a computer. That here is saved overall is out of the question. And the air conditioning system will become part of the standard equipment. The opposite of this is all too often the source of annoyance for customers.

Are we through now? Not by a long shot, because that was just the drive. So at most 40 kW from the combustion engine and some more from the electric motor should be enough. To praise would be the torque of this combination. The combustion engine would have to be driven to extreme economy, which naturally results in slack handling. But instead of accelerating as required with more fuel to grease, the electric motor has to do this work.

Please bear in mind that before we finally dispose of the combustion engines, all hopes for artificially produced fuel should be dashed. This means, for example, that it can be manufactured from algae cultures and/or CO₂ itselves. The latter would promise double profit.

No, we don't want to use the three- or two-cylinder for very much time. On the contrary, we are striving for a change in the habits of consumers of energy according to the motto: All hundred kilometers or at the latest every hour a break, which is not completely dissimilar to that of the refueling with paying etc.. So loading stops also for hybrids, a currently still completely unthinkable possibility.

A hybrid has completely different possibilities than a pure electric car. I tell the navigation computer to take a very sharp approach when calculating the charging pauses. No howling a la: 'Yes, if you want to reach this charging station, which is very convenient for you, you have to drive 90 instead of 110 km/h'. What an unacceptable restriction?

No, we are targeting this station, even if at this speed it is outside the purely electrical range. The computer, this time another one, decides how which motors are to be used. And if the charging station does not work for any reason, it must present one, two or three replacement solutions.

By the way, a modern charging system requires sufficient information about the targeted charging station lengthwise. This includes access, condition, charging capacity and occupancy. Generally, with the today's rather primitive loading structure of plug-in hybrids must be over. PlugIns and all information flows back and forth without all that card stuff. And those who take appropriate precautions, don't even need an IC card to pay.

You're still dreaming of a three times more expensive pure e-car with more range? Let it be said to you, as soon as this has used up its home advantage the here presented solution is equal or even superior. You can only consume what has been loaded and for what you have sacrificed the corresponding time.

Why shouldn't a plug-in hybrid charge as fast as the Rolls-Royce among electric cars? And then on the motorway, thanks to less weight and less show-off, it consumes significantly less? It drives faster thanks to shorter loading times overall. As I said, the initial phase of a long distance trip is not included.

So what happens next? A brief look at the old master of hybrid drives. There is still a lot of know-how to be gained there. Unfortunately Toyota went into the wrong direction after a very hopeful start. Instead of introducing downsizing in addition to Atkinson/Miller and strengthening the battery side, considering the luxury brand Lexus they have even introduced bigger gasoline engines.

However, the battery share became smaller and smaller, good for business, because they could attach the 'Hybrid' sign to almost every Toyota, bad for further development. In addition, the once quite reasonably compact Prius always became bigger, as PlugIn even more ornate in design.

The thing with the power switch is almost ingenious, as are many things in the course of vehicle development. Again, the computer does everything it can do best, if you give it a specific default. This does not even have to be done by Manettino (Ferrari). It's actually enough if it controls the accelerator pedal, brake and possibly the steering of one of the driver is assigned: 'Aha, here comes the racing driver.'

And then what can be missing? First of all the gearbox, a cost point. Then the clutch, which also keeps repairs more to a minimum. Of course, in our project, in addition to the compressor for air conditioning also starter and generator overdue. Believe us now that we are now clearly moving in the direction of 20,000 €, with air conditioning and heat pump, which is it at VW currently only available in the most expensive version.

Consumers must be made aware of this: It is not decisive with which sum in your head you go into the car dealership, but with which you get out of it. That might be a price just below that of a good Diesel. And if that goes on with the price increase, even clearly below.

By the way, don't dare demand that this ingenious Toyota concept be graded into individual gears! If you're too lazy to look at a tachometer and choose the gears only by ear you should be rationalized away. But you don't even need a rev counter. What for? To watch the computer doing its complicated management work and to see how it works to ask unnecessary questions in the workshop?

You should rather concentrate on the arbitrariness of the computer or even the electrics, which are completely unnecessary. Examples: The electric tailgate, which we hate the most, or the electric seat or even steering wheel adjustment. This is completely superfluous for privately used vehicles. Or the electric window regulator directly next to the armrest on the driver's seat.

Turning on the light and hopefully turning it off, that's just what you can do by yourselve. Real sliders are megaout, operation only by touchsrceen unfortunately not. Knob with rastering good, smallest adjustment possibilities on the steering wheel rather bad, buttons with multiple occupancies as well. Huge center consoles rather out, mechanical handbrakes could stay.

We are looking for passenger seat backrests that offer enough lateral support and can still be folded forwards, preferably as standard equipment. On the other hand, the smoking package should be banished to the most expensive of all. With the panorama roof we miss comparison measurements of the heating consumption to the normal roof. Sliding roofs, sorry, but we also consider them dispensable. Those who want to see the sky should take a break. This is rather harmful when driving a car.