Volkswagen has started sale of the ID. Charger for quick and easy home charging for electric vehicles. The wallbox can be ordered online or from Volkswagen dealers in eight European countries. The first boxes were delivered to customers recently. At an introductory price of €399, the ID. Charger offers an excellent price-performance ratio. It was developed with the ID.3 and the ID. family in mind, but can also be used to charge all other electric cars with a Type 2 connector. The new Volkswagen wallbox is part of a complete ID.3 package designed by Volkswagen to make the switch to an electric car as simple and convenient as possible.
Thomas Ulbrich, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Brand responsible for E-mobility, commented: “Volkswagen is also setting new standards for charging in the volume segment. We will be building a complete charging network around the ID.3 over the coming months. The ID. Charger gets things rolling, further charging services will follow. In future, charging an electric car is to be as clear and simple as charging a smartphone.”
The ID. Charger will be gradually introduced in three versions. All have a charging capacity of up to 11kW, a permanently mounted Type 2 charging cable and integrated DC residual current protection for maximum safety. The two top models – the ID. Charger Connect and ID. Charger Pro – will also be fully connected and can be easily managed via smartphone. Customers can therefore control charging processes, and enjoy the advantages of practical functions such as remote maintenance, managing access via a charge card and regular software updates.
The ID. Charger Pro also offers an integrated electricity meter that can be used, for example, to bill electricity costs for company car drivers “The ID. Charger doesn’t just look smart, it is smart, too. No other wallbox on the market offers so much high tech at such an attractive price”, said Martin Roemheld, Head of Mobility Services at the Volkswagen brand.
The basic version can already be ordered from the ID. Charger webshop with the option to book installation, and the ID. Charger Connect and ID. Charger Pro models will also be available soon. Volkswagen is teaming up with certified electrical contractors to offer a comprehensive installation service comprising expert advice, installation and commissioning of the wallbox. Anyone interested in purchasing a wallbox can also complete a free online pre-check.
“In the past, buying a wallbox was often a tiresome and long-winded exercise for customers. We want to change that and are offering a single-source solution for the ID. Charger – from purchase and installation through to commissioning”, said Peter Diekmann, Key Account Manager at the Volkswagen subsidiary Elli which is responsible for the ID. Charger.
Policymakers are also working on making installation of a private wallbox much simpler. In Germany, legislation to this effect was recently approved by the Federal Cabinet. Under this legislation, apartment owners and tenants would be entitled to install a system for charging electric cars at their parking space. The German Bundestag still has to ratify the legislation.
Thomas Ulbrich said: “The right to install a private wallbox is important for the success of e-mobility. Both home owners and tenants in Germany can at last plan reliably. Moreover, this legislation also places an obligation on other European countries where similar regulations are needed for additional planning security.”
Volkswagen wants to make the switch to electric cars as attractive as possible. In the next ten years, some 75 new electric models will be launched throughout the Group. The ID.3,the first car in the new ID. family, kicks things off. In parallel, the brand has put together a complete package for convenient and sustainable charging.
In Germany, in addition to the ID. Charger wallbox series, the package also includes Volkswagen Naturstrom®, the brand’s certified green electricity for emission-free electric car operation. The We Charge charging service will give access to some 150,000 public charging points throughout Europe. Through IONITY, Volkswagen is involved in building up a network of high-power charging stations across Europe.
Source and photo credit: Volkswagen
