2021-2022 VW ID.4 gets long-awaited software upgrade

Volkswagen is preparing to release a software upgrade for ID.4 electric crossovers aimed at improving infotainment system performance, while adding some new features.

The upgrade will roll out to 2021 ID.4 models first, followed by certain 2022 ID.4 models, Volkswagen of America said in a press release earlier this week. Owners will be formally notified when the new software is available for their vehicle.

Unlike Tesla or Polestar, this won’t be an over-the-air update that can be done in an owner’s driveway. VW is asking 2021 ID.4 owners to book in-person appointments with dealerships to have the new software installed, a process that also requires replacement of the 12-volt battery. The automaker will then contact owners of what it calls a “limited population” of 2022 models with instructions.

2021 Volkswagen ID.4

The new software adds a charge-routing feature for the navigation system. This allows drivers to filter for VW-funded Electrify America stations, in order to take advantage of the three years of free fast-charging included with ID.4 ownership, as well as filtering for charging speed. VW previously said Plug & Charge capability was coming to earlier ID.4s as well.

VW is also adding an auto hold feature, which prevents the vehicle from rolling when the driver releases the brake pedal while stopped. A battery state-of-charge readout has also been added alongside the range estimate on in-car displays, along with a drive-mode indicator and trip computer that accounts for current driving data and ambient temperature.

The upgrade also includes “minor bug fixes,” security improvements, and generally improves the performance of the infotainment system, according to VW.

2021 Volkswagen ID.4

An ID.4 software upgrade has been a long time coming, as most of this was announced in March as a major over-the-air update—with some details left to be hashed out. This should help address what has been one of the ID.4’s major weaknesses.

Earlier experiences with the interface underscored that it was plagued by laggy, sometimes buggy, behavior, leading us to conclude that the ID.4 was a software update away from a breakthrough. We’ve since experienced the next-generation VW 3.0 software in a Euro-spec ID.Buzz, and we found many features, like the new trip meter and the general response time of the interface, to be a big improvement.