HARTING Partners with Volkswagen in a 48 State Drive in the VW ID.4, a New Compact SUV that was Designed to Bring Electric Vehicles to the Mainstream
HARTING Partners with Volkswagen in a 48 State Drive in the VW ID.4, a New Compact SUV that was Designed to Bring Electric Vehicles to the Mainstream
Elgin, IL January 2021 --- HARTING is partnering with Volkswagen as a sponsor for a special challenge – driving across the United States in a VW ID.4 Compact SUV. On its trek, the car will visit all 48 states of the Continental (Mainland) United States. HARTING and Volkswagen have a strong partnership, celebrated when HARTING won the Volkswagen Group Award 2020 in the “E-mobility” category.
The companies have teamed with long-distance driving expert Rainer Zietlow for the new challenge. The attempt will take Zietlow and driving partner Derek Collins on a counterclockwise loop of the country, starting and ending in Herndon, Virginia. This drive will mark Zietlow’s 17th long-distance project with Volkswagen.
“The VW ID.4 is designed to bring electric vehicles to the mainstream,” said Zietlow. “It is more than suited for a long-distance drive with space for plenty of gear and the technology that compact SUV buyers want.” The ID.4 boasts a range of 250 miles per charge and is fitted with DC fast charging that allows a recharge up to 80 percent capacity in 38 minutes. With these features VW is confident that the ID.4 is up for the challenge.
By participating in this challenge, HARTING underlines its commitment to sustainability and reducing CO2 emissions. The company develops robust, reliable, and user friendly EV charging cables and plugs to support the shift to electric vehicles, which are becoming more important for combating climate change.
„We are very excited to participate in this challenge,“ said Jon DeSouza, President & CEO of HARTING Americas, „We know one of the biggest hesitations people have about switching to an electric vehicle is the concern that there aren‘t enough charging stations, or that they cannot be used for long distance travel. We are here to prove that an electric vehicle is a viable solution whether you are just going a short way or on a road trip across the entire country. The technology is here. The infrastructure is here.“
About HARTING:
The HARTING Technology Group is one of the world's leading providers of industrial connection technology for the three lifelines of Data, Signal and Power and has 14 production plants and 44 sales companies. Moreover, the company also produces retail checkout systems, electromagnetic actuators for automotive and industrial series use, charging equipment for electric vehicles, as well as hardware and software for customers and applications in automation technology, mechanical and plant engineering, robotics and transportation engineering. In the 2019/209 business year, some 5,500 employees generated sales of EUR 759 million.