After developing products for the Volkswagen ID.3, we felt it was time to show some love to its larger counterpart, the Volkswagen ID.4.

The scan   

We got quite lucky with the Volkswagen ID.4. Instead of having to search for a car for our 3D scanning process, the owner reached out to us! He was curious whether we would be developing products for the ID.4, just as we had for the ID.3. What were the odds that he lived in the same country as us and contacted us right when we decided to take on the ID.4 as our next project?

After a bit of chatting, we agreed it would be fun to visit Jan at his home to explain the process of aftermarket product development. That same day, we scanned the entire car and brainstormed some handy and cool products that would benefit the Volkswagen ID.4!

The Product development

During the development stage, we discovered that the door handles for the Volkswagen ID.3 and the Volkswagen ID.4 are actually identical! This was great news for us, as it meant we didn’t need to create an entirely new line of door handle covers for the ID.4. However, we did need to design a completely new center console cover for the ID.4 to match the door handles we had already made.

A few weeks after creating the computer sketches for our accessories, we decided it was time to turn them into reality! The first prototypes were made.

We returned to Jan to fit our prototypes. Believe it or not, they fit perfectly on the first try! So far, this has definitely been our luckiest product development yet.

The First production

Of course, the luck we experienced in the Volkswagen ID.4 product development couldn’t last forever. After fitting our prototypes, we began the production process for the new accessories. Just as we were about to start production, our factory’s area experienced a massive power outage! As a result, the products were delayed for quite some time.

After a month or two of encountering one issue after another, we finally began production of our first batch of ID.4 products. However, that wasn’t where the trouble ended. Our products were being transported in a container to our main warehouse, and everything was going smoothly until we received notice that our container would be delayed for at least another month due to COVID-related issues.

The Final stretch

We can safely say that the road to this point has been quite a rollercoaster! We went from nearly overwhelming luck to months of delays. But finally, we received our first batch! It was time to head back to our friend Jan to present him with his free products and take some photos of them on his car.

Now you know the story behind the significant delay for the Volkswagen ID.4 products, and we sincerely apologize for keeping you all waiting so long!

(We also made a video about this!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tskK3G6fFw&t=4s&ab_channel=PLUGEAR_OFFICIAL