One of the surprise elements of Elon Musk’s recent visit to Germany was his meeting with Herbert Dice, executive of the Volkswagen Group, who hosted the Tesla CEO at Branswig Airport. During their two-hour meeting, two advocates of the electric car took a drive from its MEB platform to ID3, Volkswagen’s first EV. The news came as a pleasant surprise to the electric car community, many of whom were interested in seeing Elon Musk’s insights on car ID.3, which could emerge in the mainstream vehicle market alongside the Model 3.
Fortunately, a video of Elon Musk’s Volkswagen ID3 test drive was recently shared by Herbert Dice on his LinkedIn profile. Short video, which was also posted by the Volkswagen Group Official Twitter account, Including Musk and Diaz in a friendly conversation while running the previous ID.3. As it turned out, Kasturi seemed very optimistic about the vehicle, at one point saying that the steering of the ID.3 was “very good” for a non-sporty electric car.
Interestingly, the recently shared video includes parts of Herbert Dice, which sets Musk’s expectations about the ID3, reminding the Tesla CEO that the hatchback is a mainstream car and “not a race machine.” Smiling in response, Kasturi said lightly that he “just wanted to see what the acceleration was like.” Kasturi can later be seen floating ID.3 while jokingly asking Disney “What could be the worst of this?”
In some parts of the test drive shown in the clip, it can be seen that Kasturi inquired about some aspects of ID.3 such as its battery pack and its driver assistance features. Diaz said for its part that ID.3 is equipped with Germany’s advanced lane-keeping and emergency assistance systems. The clip ended with the exit of Elon Musk and Herbert Diaz ID.3, with Tesla CEOs mostly looking for some details of mainstream EVs. ID.4, a -l-electric crossover, can also be seen nearby.
Diaz then commented in his post with some new details about Musk’s Volkswagen ID.3 test drive. According to a Volkswagen Group executive, Kasturi criticized the ID.3’s torque at low speeds. Diaz also told Musk that for a true sports car experience, Tesla CEO should try the Porsche Tech, a one-l-electric high-performance EV that Musk has openly supported in the past.
“Thanks for visiting, Elon! Hope you like the video. It was great to run ID3 with you! You were just too complicated with the torque available at higher speeds. I told you: ‘Yes, we’re on the runway – but we don’t need a takeoff – it’s not a sports car.’ For this, you should try our Porsche Taken. Wait for our next meeting! Dias wrote.
Elon Musk and Herbert Diaz have openly supported each other’s efforts in the past, with the Tesla CEO saying in a recent interview at Gigafactory Berlin that companies like Volkswagen are doing a lot of real work to get EVs into the mainstream market. Responding to a critical report about a Volkswagen Group executive last year, Musk noted on Twitter: “Herbert Dice is doing more than any major car manufacturer to get electric. The good of the world must come first. There is support. “
Diaz, for his part, has also openly defended the musk. Last October alone, reporters suggested that while the Model 3 was a success, they still see Tesla as a “niche” car manufacturer, but capable of making less volume cars than its league in the mass market segment. Dice immediately defended Tesla, saying the American carmaker was by no means a “special” company. “Tesla is not special. The Model 3 is a large range model and is one of the largest manufacturers of electric-car batteries. We have a lot of respect for Tesla. It’s a competitor that we take very seriously, “said a Volkswagen Group executive.
