Volkswagen ID.3: software problems that could delay its launch

Volkswagen is facing a rather significant problem with its new electric model, the ID.3, which could seriously delay the launch of the model. A software issue controlling this electric car, which aims to be a benchmark for urban drivers, had already been detected, but more errors have been found that jeopardise the car’s functionality.

In the latest tests carried out on the Volkswagen ID.3, up to 300 errors a day have been recorded, which makes it impossible to put the car on the market. The company has got down to work and has begun to solve the matter, and has assigned 10,000 technicians to work on the vehicle’s software. However, when it comes to refining the programming, they have run into another problem.

Faulty communication between components

One of the most common errors in the Volkswagen ID.3’s software is the lack of communication between the various elements that make up the Volkswagen ID.3, causing faults in the interface used to control them. Fixing the errors could delay the launch of the ID.3 by up to a year, meaning it will not be on the road until July 2021.

But production has already started and several thousand units have been built. What happens to them? They are stuck in the plant’s car parks, waiting for the software to be updated and all the faults to be repaired. But the Volkswagen ID.3 is not equipped to receive OTA updates, that is, wirelessly. So every car has to receive the necessary update manually, one by one.

The presentations of the Volkswagen ID.3 so far have been static. That is, without starting the car or having it driven in public, so it did not need to be fully finished. In fact, they have all been pre-production versions and have not been used in practice.

Buyers of this electric model can choose from three battery sizes, of 45, 58 and 77 kWh, with a range of 330, 420 and 550 kilometres respectively. There are also motors with different power outputs, ranging from 126 CV in the entry-level model to 50, 145, 204 and 160 CV at the top of the range.