Road trip deluxe -
Grand Tour of Switzerland in an e-car

Clear, summer-fresh mountain air streams through the open windows, the only sound is the tinkling of cowbells. This is how the all-electric ID.5 GTX rolls along the asphalt ribbon that winds its way through green meadows up to the world-famous Furka Pass. Switzerland looks so beautiful it's almost kitschy, the idyllic Alpine landscape stretches out in front of the windscreen as though it were a painting.

You quickly get used to such views on the 1,643-kilometre-long Grand Tour of Switzerland but you never get tired of it. The route takes you over five Alpine passes, past 22 lakes and to 46 top sights – of which 13 alone have UNESCO World Heritage status – and leads all the way around and across the Alpine country. The road trip, which is mainly on country roads, is a carefree pleasure for e-car drivers: more than 200 charging stations can be found along the route, 60 of which are fast-charging stations. Information on the tour and the sights can also be found in the Grand Tour app.

And so Daniel Ott, native of Switzerland and fan of the all-electric ID. Volkswagen models, can relax and enjoy the landscape cinema. With a range of up to 490 kilometres (WLTP), his ID.5 GTX is perfectly suitable for long journeys. In addition, the E-SUV coupé from Volkswagen provides its passengers with maximum travelling comfort. The extremely spacious interior also provides plenty of room in the rear, while the panoramic glass roof offers magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. Important data are displayed on the augmented reality head-up display in the driver’s sight at all times. The system also gives feedback using the ID. Light, which, for example, shows the direction when turning by means of light signals.

On the Grand Tour, Switzerland shows itself from its best side. Ott takes the tour from his home in Flumserberg to the spectacular Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen. There he gives the ID.5 GTX a short break to recharge before heading via Stein am Rhein towards Lake Constance to Arenenberg Castle. Continuing on through the mountain panoramas of Appenzell, then via St. Moritz to Ticino, in the south of Switzerland, where there are already palm trees growing.

A leisurely tour on which the fun of driving is not forgotten. Especially when you’re on the road in the sporty and elegant ID.5 GTX. The 220 kW (299 PS) electric car accelerates from 0 to 100 in 6.3 seconds. In the mountains, the dual-motor all-wheel drive designed for maximum traction and extremely stable handling unfolds its full potential. Especially on winding roads and in critical weather conditions, it shows you what it can do. “The car really feels great on the road. Thanks to the low centre of gravity and the active chassis, the ID.5 GTX can be driven very sportily,” Daniel tells us.

In Ascona-Locarno, Ott heads for the largest and most famous traffic roundabout in Switzerland: La Rotonda. In its centre, the international ID. meeting is taking place from 06–10 September. Ott is the founder of the largest meeting of fans of VW ID. models. The meeting was held at the same location for the first time in 2021. Several hundred participants from all over Europe are expected to attend the meeting on the shores of Lake Maggiore.

Over the cobbled Tremola, which winds its way in breathtaking twists and turns along the southern flank of the Gotthard Pass, Ott and the ID.5 GTX continue on to Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn. In the ups and downs of he Alpine landscape, an elementary electric technology proves its effectiveness: thrust recuperation. In the process, the electric motors work briefly as generators and feed electricity back into the battery. The energy consumed when driving uphill is recovered when driving downhill and braking.

After a refreshing night with a view of the Matterhorn, Ott sets off in the direction of Montreux. Zermatt is car-free, the ID. 5 GTX has loaded up overnight in the car park outside the town. The Grand Tour zigzags from here via Lausanne up to Neuchâtel; Ott makes a short cut and reaches Bern in the late afternoon. Ideally, the Grand Tour should be ridden clockwise – it is also signposted in this direction. The route is designed for seven to eight one-day stages with a daily driving time of about five hours. An ideal companion for navigation is the Volkswagen Route-planner. For long distances, this provides a charging strategy that gets the car to its destination as quickly as possible, taking into account numerous factors such as traffic and journey data.

Stages and stopovers on the Grand Tour are marked with the distinctive red Swiss coat of arms – in the form of a photo frame. If there is a spare charging station in sight, Ott treats himself to a coffee from a thermos flask, enjoys the view and supplies the electric car with energy. The 77-kWh battery of the ID.5 GTX can be charged with up to 135 kW at an adequately powerful DC charging station – this provides energy for around 320 kilometres in 36 minutes, for example.

After five days and around 1,000 kilometres, the Grand Tour of Switzerland adventure is coming to an end here for Daniel Ott. After a last night in a hotel it’s back home in laid-back circuits. With many impressions and fully charged batteries, also for the driver. Daniel sums up his experiences: “The tour and the car: both a dream!”