Volkswagen has announced that the charging capacity of its standard ID. models with a 77kWh battery will increase from 125kW to 135kW, while its sportier ID.5 GTX will be capable of up to 150kW. This boost will cut charging times by up to nine minutes when charging from 5% to 80%.
The German automaker also says all ID. models with the 77kWh battery will soon be capable of bidirectional charging. This means electricity can flow from the EV back into the grid or to charge a separate energy storage system such as a wallbox plugged into a home energy system.
Both of these software upgrades will be available via over-the-air updates, although Volkswagen is yet to share a timeline as to when this will be. European owners will be the first to make use of the updates when they do come.
Volkswagen also plans to install an additional 35,000 retail charging points, and give We Charge EV contract owners access to a further 18,000 fast charging stations, on top of the 270,000 public chargers that are already part of the company’s network.
To simplify the charging process, VW has developed a Plug & Charge feature. This eliminates the need for physical cards as the charging station securely communicates with the charging chord, automatically identifying who you are.
In a further electrification push, VW is aiming to build 20 new wind and solar farms by 2025 that will produce more than seven terawatt-hours of electricity.
Elke Temme, chief executive of the Volkswagen subsidiary Elli that provides sustainable energy solutions, said: “Our goal is to ensure that an electric vehicle is capable of being a customer’s primary car – without any compromises. That is why we are building a complete charging eco-system, with residential charging solutions and a rapid expansion of the fast-charging infrastructure required for mobile charging, as well as competent advice, comprehensive charging tariffs and the right fleet solutions for business customers.”