VW to roll out new software for ID models

Volkswagen is rolling out a major software update for its ID range of electric cars.

The ID Software 3.0 update will be available via an over-the-air update, free-of-charge, from April.

All newly delivered cars will have the software installed from the factory.

The changes included new driver assistance systems, improved charging times and enhanced voice control.

A key enhancement is the new Travel Assist with Swarm Data system. It uses data from other VW vehicles to provide improved lane centering on roads without central markings. The system can also adapt to the driver’s own driving style and provide lane change assistance.

Parking assistance has also been upgraded, with a new memory function that allows the driver to teach the car a specific parking manoeuvre, such as parking in a car port, which the car can then replicate autonomously.

ID Software 3.0 also brings updates to the displays and infotainment system. The optional augmented reality head-up display, which projects information straight into the field of vision of the windscreen, has now been expanded to include new symbols such as roundabouts and information on the distance to the destination. The turn arrows now appear much more integrated into the surroundings.

The sat nav now locates the vehicle precisely in the lane within the system limits, which enables it to recommend changing lanes in good time at motorway junctions and exits. The corresponding indication for the lane change recommendation also appears in the ID. Light – the strip light under the windscreen.

It has also been enhanced to provide routes that take into account charging stops.

Changes to the voice control system are said to provide accuracy of 95%.

The driver display also now shows the battery state of charge as a percentage, following customer feedback.

ID models using the latest software, with a 77kWh battery, will charge at a maximum of 135kW, instead of 125kW, at a sufficiently powerful DC charging station. VW says improvements to the thermal management of the battery can also increase the car’s range, especially in cold weather.

Customers who want to conserve their battery can activate the new Battery Care Mode. It limits the SOC charge level to 80%.

> Interested in comparing electric vehicle data? Check out our EV tool.

> Interested in ensuring the efficient use of EVs. Check out our dedicated editorial sections: Insight & policy | EV news | Charging & infrastructure | Costs & incentives | Benefit-in-kind | EV case studies | EV road tests

> EVs by range

> EVs by their efficiency

> Rapid charging EVs

> EVs by price: lowest to highest