Fascination E “We want to become the GTI Meet for electric cars”

From 08 to 12 September, Ticino will be taken over by ID. drivers and electric mobility enthusiasts. Mr Ott, what are your expectations for the event?

The aim is to have a laid-back, friendly exchange of experiences. We will be driving electric cars through beautiful countryside and magnificent passes such as Tremolastrasse (Val Tremola), enjoying hikes, culinary delights and surprises. And there will also be plenty of time to chat and relax as well.

How did you come up with the idea of organising this meet?

I had the idea almost exactly a year ago ­– in September 2020, after I ordered my ID.3 1st. I was browsing the ID. forums and social media groups for the ID. family and felt that there was a need for a community that meets up in real life to talk about ID. cars. Like the GTI community has been doing at Wörthersee for decades. My goal is for us to become the green, sustainable GTI Meet for electric mobility.

Why did you choose Ascona-Locarno as the location?

It needs to be in a place where you can also have a holiday so that the meet can also be used as an opportunity to take a break. Ticino is perfect for this: it’s Mediterranean but still in Switzerland.

What was your approach to planning?

Firstly, it was important to me to make it an independently initiated meet that doesn’t rely on any companies. I shared my idea with my friend Claudio Colle in November 2020 and he was enthusiastic right away. After that I started a video appeal on my social media channels and the response was overwhelming. Now there are six people on the organisational team and we are delighted that Volkswagen is supporting ID. Meet by providing cars and experts.

At the same time as ID. Meet is taking place, Volkswagen is opening up the ID. First Movers Club on Facebook to the whole ID. community. How do you feel about the step towards ID. Drivers Club?

It’s a fantastic idea. It will make the community bigger and step up discussions – it’s a win-win situation. In the community, problems are often solved directly by users.

One can really feel your fascination for electric mobility. What triggered it?

I organised the Swiss e-mobility day in 2017, an event that formed part of the Flumserberg energy forum. During a test drive in Flumserberg, which is where I live, I learned about energy consumption and energy recuperation, and decided that my next car would be all-electric.

It took until 2020 for you to put your plan into practice.

I have been a Volkswagen fan for many years. Before my ID.3 1st I drove a Golf VII, but I was very excited about the developments in electric mobility. I saw the first step as a huge opportunity – for Volkswagen, and for me as well. I realised that I wanted to use the opportunities I had to promote the subject and to win others over.

In October you will have owned your ID.3 1st for a year. What is your conclusion?

Honestly? It is a superb car. I’m really pleased with it. Obviously there were one or two initial challenges with the software and the expandable charging infrastructure, which are still there to this day. But I’m not worried about that. Mistakes happen where people are involved. Improvements are being worked on and a lot of solutions have already been found. I also have to say that so far I have always got from A to B safely and without any issues, even over long distances, including to Greece. That is what is most important to me.

How would you sum up the fascination of electric mobility in one sentence?

It is the transition to something new, for which a new infrastructure needs to be set up, which in turn creates new job opportunities.

Many critics see things differently.

You just have to look at the past: My father experienced the automotive industry boom at first hand in the 1950s and 1960s. The increased demand for cars led to the rapid expansion of road networks and petrol stations. It was a transformation and I see electric mobility as being similar. And I include renewable energy such as wind and photovoltaics in that as well. Electric mobility and sustainable energy are a perfect fit.

What is your personal “way to ZERO”?

My wife Maria and I don’t eat any meat. That’s the main way we reduce our carbon footprint. She is vegetarian and I am 99 percent vegan. Every now and then I treat myself to a piece of cheese, I’m Swiss after all. I also live terranean, which means that I avoid flying where possible. We also try to minimise the amount of rubbish we produce and use fabric bags when we go shopping. But even though I am very serious about sustainability I break my own rules every now and then.

Unlike at the Wörthersee meet, tuning isn’t relevant to ID. Meet …

Not yet. But if there is demand, we are open to the idea. We focussed on other key areas for the inaugural meet this year.

Can you explain the principle?

It’s simple physics: Lifting weight requires energy, lowering weight releases energy – like with hydropower. So the electricity surplus from wind turbines and solar plants can be caught and the energy storage of the future is getting ever closer. This is a topic that is directly relevant to electric mobility, making it a perfect part of ID. Meet.