I am a 5-year owner of a Volkswagen ID.4 First Edition, and here are the must-have accessories and a few other things you’ll want if you also own one.
None of these items are sponsored, and I own all of them myself.
Screen Protector
One of the biggest no-brainer purchases you can make for your ID.4 is to buy an infotainment screen protector. Spigen, a company based in Orange County, CA, is known for its screen protectors, which it also makes for other devices like mobile phones and tablets.
The screen protector is one of the least expensive, but most important accessories you can buy.
The screen protector they’ve made for the ID.4 costs $40.00. Not only will it guard against damage like scratches, but the real glass also removes glare and reduces fingerprints (and frankly, that’s worth the money by itself). They only offer the screen protector for the 12” screen size, so make sure you get the right one for your ID.4.
Amazon.com: 12” Screen Protector
Tow Hitch
If you opt for the tow hitch, the VW ID.4 comes with a 1.25” receiver, meaning that many popular bike racks or other cargo-related parts won’t fit. To get around this, I bought an adapter for around $20.00 that allows you to connect to cargo holders that have a 2” receiver (which is much more common).
You’ll need a 2″ tow hitch adapter like this to use many common bike racks and other cargo items.
It had great reviews, seems to be built quite well, and holds up to 350 pounds. I use it for my Thule bike rack and have no complaints. However, the only issue is that it’s not suitable for towing trailers or anything of the sort, hence the weight limit.
One thing to note is that you’ll need a 1/2″ hitch pin to secure the adapter. I had one already, but you can get them at your local department store or on Amazon.com for ~$5.00 – $7.00.
Amazon.com: 1.25″ to 2” Tow Hitch Receiver Adapter | 1/2″ Hitch Pin
Tesla Destination Charger Adapter
If you plan to take your EV out on any road trips, then I highly recommend getting a Tesla destination charger adapter, which will allow the ID.4 to use this equipment.
Tesla destination charger adapters open up thousands of more chargers to the ID.4 and other non-Tesla EVs.
They are essentially the same thing as Tesla home charging stations, and you can find them at places like shopping malls, POIs, and hotels. They’ll charge the ID.4 at a rate that adds around 30 miles of range per hour, which is great for fueling up when you are visiting a tourist destination or while sleeping in your hotel overnight.
I’ve saved so much money over the years using free Tesla destination chargers at hotels.
What’s more is that they can often be completely free to use, so you’ll more than recoup the $100-ish cost after just a few sessions. I got mine from Lectron. It has a 48-amp rating, so you’ll get the fastest available speeds, and is certified to SGS standards.
Find it on Lectron’s Website | Find it on Amazon.com
Portable Level 1/Level 2 Combo Charger
When I first got my ID.4, I only used the included cable to charge at home that adds about 3 miles of range per hour. While this worked fine for a while, once I moved and had access to a NEMA 14-50 outlet, I started using a Level 2 charging cable instead. Wow, what a difference it makes!
Not only is Lectron’s Level 2 charger fast, it’s portable and has an adapter for 120v outlets as well.
Lectron makes the portable charging equipment I use (they make Ford’s Tesla Supercharger adapter, too), and it has two great and uncommon features. First, it accepts up to 40 amps of power input, making it 25% or so faster than similar products like Tesla’s mobile charging kit.
Second, it comes with a second adapter that lets you use the same cable to charge with Level 1 regular wall outlets. This matters because, previously, you would need to take two different cables if you planned on charging at a friend’s or relative’s house, or if you needed an emergency charge at an RV park using the NEMA 14-50 outlet most of them offer, so you avoid being stranded somewhere.
Lectron’s portable charging cable is portable, adaptable, and has a high power output.
Thanks to this Lectron charging cable, you don’t have to worry about this anymore (and by the way, if you aren’t taking the cable with you on the road already, you should definitely do so).
Find it on Lectron’s Website | Find it on Amazon.com
Floor Mats
If you are paying $40,000+ for a vehicle, you don’t want to skimp on the floor mats and potentially ruin your ID.4’s carpeted lining. Since day one, I’ve owned the OEM rubber floor mats and, over the last five years, have probably spilled a dozen different types of liquids or food on them and have been thankful I spent the $135.00 that they cost.
As you can see, you’re going to want all-weather floor mats.
You can purchase these mats at your local Volkswagen dealer. A highly-rated alternative that you can get off of Amazon are those made by 3W Liners. I have their mats in my Model Y and they are excellent as well.
Find it on 3W’s Website | Find it on Amazon
Cargo Liner
Just like the rubber floor mats, you’ll probably want to invest in a cargo liner for the back of your ID.4 as well, specifically one that can also protect the rear seats. I purchased the OEM cargo liner (which MuddyBuddy makes) for $180.
Just imagine what my cargo area would look like without this liner…
This mat uses Velcro attachments to latch onto the backside of the rear seats, which ensures it covers them if you put longer items in the back of your car, such as lumber, or if you stuff it full of plants as I do each year.
If this one is a little out of your price range, you can get an alternative mat for just the cargo area for $90.00. This one has a 4.8/5.0 rating and great reviews.
Official OEM Cargo Liner | Highly-rated Amazon.com Alternative
Cleaning Items
While these are the only “accessories” I own and can personally recommend so far, there are some cleaning products that you’ll definitely want to pick up sooner rather than later to make sure your ID.4 looks new for as long as possible.
Unscented Baby Wipes
Whenever you do inevitably spill something or get dirt in your VW EV, usually the best solution is to clean it up with unscented baby wipes. That’s because these products are extremely gentle, won’t break down the material like harsher chemicals (looking at you, Clorox wipes), and don’t make your car smell as if someone just doused it in fake lemon scent.
Unscented baby wipes like these will keep your ID.4 clean without degrading the materials.
I buy mine in bulk from Amazon.com, because it makes the cost of each wipe very low, like $0.06 each. I’ve been using those from The Honest Company, as they are eco-friendly and hypoallergenic.
LCD Cleaner
Even if you decide to pick up the screen protector, you’ll still want to clean it and the driver’s display with LCD-safe liquid to get rid of dust or fingerprints. Not to mention, it’s great at getting rid of the smudges on the piano black surfaces as well.
This LCD cleaner works wonders and never leaves streaks.
I use a brand called NanoMagic, formulated and manufactured in the USA. Though I picked mine up at a local Micro Center, you can grab a bottle online, too. It does an amazing job, no streaks, fog, or other issues, and it dries really fast. A bottle should last you a while.
Tires I Recommend
The OEM tires that came with my First Edition ID.4 only lasted 24,500 miles, especially the back tires, due to the rear-wheel drivetrain. Not only do electric car motors produce more torque that can rip the tread right off, but they also weigh a lot more than their gas-powered counterparts, which can also increase wear quite quickly.
Unless you want to replace your tires frequently, I recommend switching to some that are more robust.
Changing tires that often at $400 apiece can really add up over the years. But, I found a solution that has worked great by switching to the Michelin CrossClimate2 tires, which are all-season tires that have a lot of extra tread depth, longer warranty (30,000 miles), and cost basically the same amount as the OEM tires (or less).
I’ve had the CrossClimate2s on my ID.4 for about 55,000 miles now, and at my last inspection, the report listed them as having 6/32nds tread remaining, which means thousands of miles of tread life still to go. That’s triple the tread life for the same price.
The Michelin CrossClimate2s have already saved me thousands of dollars in maintenance costs.
While some other EV owners have mentioned increased road noise or reduced range due to the thickness of the Michelin CrossClimate2s, I haven’t personally experienced these problems noticeably and can highly recommend them to others looking to save some time and cost on maintenance.
Due to the different wheel sizes, be sure to check your ID.4’s specific fitment before buying tires. Regardless, you can find them all on Amazon.com, which is where I bought mine.
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