Easy charging – always and everywhere

Even if electric cars are still considered exotic today. Why? Because consumers have a certain skepticism towards them. Because consumers are worried about the range. Because consumers are worried by a horrifying scenario: staying put on a longer journey with an empty battery, far away from the next charging station.

But these worries are already mostly unfounded today. For example, the average daily distance travelled by a commuter in Germany is 35 kilometers. This means that an average commuter with a vehicle that today has a range of 200 kilometers, for example, only has to recharge about once a week. So, it is easy to factor in when the car should be recharged overnight at the home socket, or during working hours at a charging station during the day.

Volkswagen Group will be presenting two completely new products at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt from September 12 to 22: the ID.3¹, the first all-electric car with a range of 330 to 550 kilometers and the ID. Charger, the matching Wallbox for charging at home.

A wallbox is a charging station for private households. Wallboxes can charge with a higher charging power (11-22 kilowatts) and more comfort than conventional household sockets. For the launch of the ID.3¹ at the beginning of 2020, Volkswagen is offering a charging station for home charging. This wallbox will be available in three versions.

With the ID. Charger customers will be able to charge their e-cars quickly and conveniently at home. It offers a charging capacity of up to 11kW and charges almost five times as fast as a normal household socket. The ID.3¹ with its large 77kW/h battery can thus be fully charged in around eight hours. With an introductory price starting at 399 euros, the ID. Charger offers outstanding value for money. According to Volkswagen estimates, around half of all charging processes for electric cars will take place at home in the future.

Volkswagen will offer the ID. Charger in three versions. They differ above all in their digital functions. All three versions can be ordered online or from your Volkswagen dealer from the end of November. Before purchasing, customers can have the conditions for installation checked in a free online consultation. On request, Volkswagen will also take care of the professional installation and commissioning of the Wallbox.

Volkswagen wants to make the switch to the electric car as attractive as possible. Over the next ten years, almost 70 new e-models are to be launched across the Group. As the first vehicle of the new generation, the ID.3¹ celebrated its world premiere at the IAA 2019. In line with this, the brand offers a complete package for convenient and sustainable charging of electric cars. In addition to the ID. Charger series, the certified Volkswagen Naturstrom® offers its own eco-electricity option that enables the electric car to run completely emission-free. The WeCharge charging service will in future provide access to more than 100,000 public charging points throughout Europe.

On request, the Volkswagen Group can also supply the appropriate, climate-friendly electricity for the electric car and Wallbox free of charge: through its subsidiary Elli. Elli stands for Electric life and is part of the energy revolution: With it, the Volkswagen Group is once again making progress on the road to the breakthrough of electric mobility. The company helps its customers to achieve their personal energy revolution. Volkswagen Naturstrom® is supplied to its customers. This is a certified product of the Volkswagen Group. Elli also sells Wallboxes to private customers and companies.

One thing is certain: there will be a significant increase in e-cars as early as 2020, reinforced by the ID.3¹ from Volkswagen. Growth will continue to increase in the years thereafter. This growth will increase the pressure on the charging structure.

The Volkswagen Group is pursuing a clear goal: to make charging easy, anytime, anywhere. Soon, e-car users will no longer have to think about the accessibility of the next charging station or the range of their vehicle. In this regard, Volkswagen is making e-cars suitable for everyday use, bringing electric mobility out of its niche and making it the real mass technology of the future.