It doesn't work without a navigation system.

Even on routes that you know well, you will activate the route guidance in a purely electric car.

After all, the range of the battery is limited and the charging time is long.

With an online connection to determine free charging stations along the route and the pre-temperature control of the battery, you get more out of the still young drive technology and avoid some adversities.

Michael Spehr

Editor in the "Technology and Engine" department.

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So infotainment plays a big role in electric vehicles.

We tested the equipment in the Škoda Enyaq 80x, whose battery has a net capacity of 77 kilowatt hours (kWh).

With a consumption of around 25 kWh for 100 kilometers at low temperatures and a very careful driving style, we achieved a maximum range of around 350 kilometers.

It should be noted that fast charging in the standard equipment is only possible up to 55 kW.

A charging capacity of up to 100 kW is available for the 50 and 60 model variants in connection with an Ionity contract, in the two 80 models it is up to 125 kW.

There is a lot of focus on touch and little on buttons

Although the navigation system is indispensable for efficient driving, it is unfortunately not part of the otherwise lavish standard equipment.

This consists of a very sparse digital cockpit in front of the steering wheel and a huge touch-sensitive color screen that has a diagonal of 13 inches, but is significantly smaller in the Enyaq 50 at only 10 inches.

Four to eight speakers are standard equipment, as well as a Bluetooth hands-free system and digital radio, as well as support for Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

The GPS with online connection costs 800 euros in the best case.

A first look at the system shows that touch and fewer buttons are used here as well.

A few buttons below the center air vents allow quick access to some of the air conditioning functions.

But I like the purely mechanical steering wheel buttons, which work far more precisely than the touch elements in the Golf 8.

But there's no mistake: you can't do it without your fingers on the monitor, not even to switch on the seat heating or to set the temperature.

Compared to the Golf 8, the latter works without any problems at night, because the screen is responsible here and not an unlit, touch-sensitive slider bar.

Only the volume of the hi-fi system can be adjusted with such a control element, unfortunately.

Another minus point is the long waiting time until the system is ready for operation.

The voice control, which is part of the standard equipment, takes what feels like minutes before it accepts commands, and the calculation of longer routes requires further patience.

This may also be due to the fact that the route is conveniently optimized taking into account the battery level and the available charging points.

Fast charging stations above 22 kW are also preferred.

You can see the name, location and speed of the charging station and the suggested charging time in the list.

What is missing, however, is a detailed display, such as how much remaining battery capacity you arrive at the charging station.

If you do the math back and forth, you get the impression that there are not many reserves left when you get to the gas station.

Risk-averse drivers will not appreciate this.

During the charging process, you miss the indication of how high the current charging capacity is.

After all, you can see the filling level in percent and how many kilometers per charging hour are currently being charged.

But enough of the nagging: The Enyaq's infotainment otherwise hardly raises any questions regarding operation, and once it's up and running, the working speed is also satisfactory.

If you mean well, you can choose an equipment package that includes the head-up display with augmented reality.

The display is spectacular: the usual navigation information or recognized traffic signs appear in the driver's lower field of vision.

Larger, colored symbols are displayed in a huge area above, such as moving directional arrows before a turn or dynamic elements for the lane departure warning and distance assistants.

Our vehicle already had the current infotainment and battery management software installed.

In the second half of the year, after a visit to the workshop, he will also be included in the existing vehicles.