HARTING supports world record drive with VW ID4: driving the electric car across 48 states

With the electric car through the USA

E-mobility is currently gaining momentum.

Have electric vehicles already entered the mainstream in the meantime? We are of the opinion: We are at least close to it! In an effort to ease the last of the doubters' reservations about electric cars, the two companies have teamed up for a remarkable challenge. Piloted by long-distance expert Rainer Zietlow, the challenge will be circling the United States of America clockwise together with his co-pilot Derek Collins. Their destination: traversing 48 states of the USA. Starting and finishing in Herndon, Virginia, they set out to circumnavigate the United States of America in a clockwise direction. After 97 days and 208 stops at charging stations, the challenge was completed - a world record including an entry in the Guinness Book of Records! No electric vehicle had yet completed such a challenging long distance through the USA. 
This will mark the 17th long distance project that Zietlow undertook with Volkswagen.

Charging cable in the car

HARTING and Volkswagen have a strong partnership in place, which was highlighted by HARTING winning the Volkswagen Group Award 2020 in the "E-Mobility" category.

ID4-Tour Video

"The VW ID.4 was designed and developed to get electric vehicles into the mainstream," Zietlow says. "The vehicle is decidedly suitable for long-distance driving, with room for plenty of gear and the all the technology that buyers want to see in compact SUVs." The ID.4 has a range of 250 miles per charge and features a DC fast charging function that enables charging up to 80 percent of capacity in 38 minutes. So the ID.4 is definitely up to the challenge.

By participating in the challenge, HARTING is underlining its commitment to sustainability and the reduction of CO2 emissions. The company develops robust, reliable and user-friendly charging cables and plugs for electric vehicles, thereby supporting the ongoing shift electric vehicles, which are becoming increasingly important in combating climate change.

We are very excited to be participating in this competition. We know that one of the biggest barriers to switching over to electric vehicles is the concern that there will not be sufficient charging stations available or that the vehicles themselves aren't suitable for long-distance driving. We're here to prove that an electric vehicle is a viable solution, whether you're just driving short distances or embarking on a road trip across the country. The technology is there. The infrastructure is in place.

Jon DeSouza
Jon DeSouza, President & CEO of HARTING Americas

Donation

As with each of his tours, Rainer Zietlow chose to support an international charity organization. For this tour, 10 US cent per each mile driven was donated to the SOS-Children´s Village in Coconut Creek, FL.