- The Volkswagen ID.4 went back on sale this year and it’s already off to a strong start.
- It was America’s third best-selling EV in January, right behind the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
- Volkswagen is offering tempting lease and financing deals on the ID.4. It has some catching up to do after its production was paused for much of last year.
America’s electric vehicle market can be unpredictable. Last year, the Honda Prologue shot up the sales charts despite being a General Motors product under the skin. The Chevy Equinox EV quickly became GM’s top-selling electric model after deliveries began in mid-2024. And now, in an unexpected twist, the Volkswagen ID.4 was America’s third-best-selling EV in January. So, what on earth is going on?
EV sales ballooned in the U.S. in January, up nearly 30% year-over-year with over 102,000 units sold, according to Cox Automotive. The top five models by sales volumes were the Tesla Model Y, Model 3, Volkswagen ID.4, Tesla Cybertruck and the Honda Prologue.
The ID.4 had a decent debut when it launched stateside in 2021, gaining further momentum after Volkswagen started local production at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant.
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But last year, its production came to a grinding halt due to a massive recall involving nearly 100,000 units, to fix faulty electronic door handles. No crashes or injuries were reported, but the automaker slapped a stop-sale order on the ID.4 that lasted through about the final quarter of 2024. That’s almost three months with no ID.4 sales. Not good.
So when the ID.4 returned to showrooms at the start of this year, Volkswagen brought aggressive lease and financing deals to win back buyers. As of now, you can lease one for just $189 per month for 24 months with $999 due at signing, which is very tempting.
Pent-up demand and jaw-dropping lease offers explain some of the ID.4’s resurgence, but there’s more to the story. The vehicle itself has improved, particularly in software, which was long a sore spot for Volkswagen. Early ID.4 models were plagued with sluggish, glitchy infotainment, but many of those issues have been ironed out. It’s still not perfect, but far more usable, as InsideEVs noted in its review last year.
“The 2024 ID.4 is a good crossover and a very good EV. These improvements do show that the Volkswagen Group, for all its challenges, is trying—and it’s getting better every time it does,” InsideEVs Editor-in-Chief Patrick George wrote of the updated model.
But the electric crossover space is crowded right now, and it’s set to become even more competitive in the coming months. The refreshed Tesla Model Y will go on sale in March and has garnered rave reviews already. Deliveries of the Cadillac Optiq are imminent and BMW will also launch its first Neue Klasse model this year.
So whether the ID.4 can keep up those sales numbers is an open question, but it’s off to a strong start and that was very needed.
Have a tip? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
