AUTO

VW ID.4 Wins SEMA EV of the Year

November 4, 2022

For the first time in its decades-long history, SEMA is giving out an EV of the Year award – and Volkswagen’s ID.4 is bringing it home!

Electric vehicles – from factory EVs to electrified classics – are becoming an ever-larger part of the automotive aftermarket. As such, SEMA needs to embrace EVs if it plans to stay relevant in the years ahead, so it makes sense for the group to offer an award like this (SEMA stands for “Specialty Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, and it acts as a lobbying group for aftermarket manufacturers).

For their part, SEMA’s top staff seem to understand that. “The Volkswagen ID.4 is a well-deserved winner of the first-ever SEMA Award for Electric Vehicle of the Year,” said Mike Spagnola, SEMA CEO. “Electric Vehicles are an important segment in our industry and the ID.4 is a great example of how these vehicles can be customized. We thank Volkswagen for their collaboration with the aftermarket, so manufacturers are able to bring a variety of customization options for the ID.4 to consumers.”

And, if that sounds a bit defensive to you, that’s probably because it is. Remember that Ford and GM pulled out of SEMA this year, along with Hyundai and Kia. Tesla has never been, and neither Honda, Stellantis (read: Chrysler), or Toyota had a pure electric offering on hand, leaving precious little in the way of competition for VW.

Still, history rarely remembers who wasn’t there – it just remembers who won. And, for what it’s worth, we think SEMA could have done a lot worse than picking the ID.4. “We are thrilled to win the SEMA Award for Electric Vehicle of the Year,” said Hein Schafer, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy, Volkswagen of America. “Volkswagen is committed to bringing e-mobility to the masses, and as our ID.4 concepts show, EVs can be equipped to suit a wide variety of lifestyle needs.”

The entry ID.4, now called the ID.4 Standard, is equipped with a new 62 kWh battery, allowing for a lower price of entry and an EPA-estimated range of 209 miles. The ID.4 Pro continues with an 82 kWh battery that allows for an EPA-estimated range of 275 miles. A single permanent magnet synchronous motor powers the rear wheels and provides 201 horsepower. ID.4 AWD Pro models add an asynchronous motor to the front axle, resulting in a bump to 295 horsepower, and have an EPA-estimated range of 255 miles. The well-equipped ID.4 Standard starts at $37,495.