Electric Vehicle Charging | Charging & Range

Battery technology has made huge progress.

Charging times are faster and ranges much longer. Plus, staying topped up couldn’t be simpler, just plug in overnight every few days. Charging, so easy you can do it in your sleep.

man plugging in his ID.7 to charge at home

How much does it cost to charge at home?

Have a play with our Running Cost Calculator to discover the cost of charging a Volkswagen electric vehicle car.

Running Cost Simulator

couple outside plugging out their ID.3 from a wallbox after charging it

How long does it take to charge at home?

Charging times can vary depending on where, when and how you choose to charge. Our Charging Times Simulator will provide you with accurate estimations.

Charging Times Simulator

Where and how do I charge my car?

The public charging infrastructure is rapidly growing, there’s now 66,000 charging points in the UK. There’s also workplace charging and of course, home wall boxes. Let us take you through some of the most popular options.

an ID.5 plugged in and charging at an ohme wallbox at home

Charging at home

The most efficient way to charge is through a home charger. Your car can also be plugged directly into a wall socket, although this takes considerably longer. With a home charger you can schedule your charge times for when energy tariffs are lower.

Types of chargers

Our recommended wallbox provider

Charge across Europe with We Charge

Planning a holiday? We Charge, via Volkswagen’s We Connect app, connects you to a dense and reliable network of public charge points for worry-free driving across Europe. It will even help plan your route so there’s always a charge point when you need one, taking into consideration fast chargers. Bon voyage!

Find out more about We Charge & BP Pulse partnership
Find a charging station

Two women standing with a book in hand next to a white VW ID. which is charging at a public charging station

FAQs

How do I charge my EV?

Essentially there are three ways to charge your electric vehicle:

via a 3-pin household wall socket, which is slow but available widely
via a wallbox which can be installed at your home if you have e.g. suitable off-street parking available and is substantially faster and more practical than a 3-pin plug
via public or on the road charging points, which can be the fastest way to charge, especially where rapid or ultra rapid options are available. Availability of public charging is increasing all the time, for the latest availability check out zapmap

Can I charge at home?

The easiest and quickest way to charge at home is via a wallbox. We have a partnership with award-winning supplier of easy-to-use home chargers, Ohme. Not only do they make the installation and set-up as easy as possible, they also offer low-cost charging options via integration with smart EV energy tariffs (eg. OVO Charge Anytime). You will need to have off-street parking available and permission from the landlord if you rent your property as well as an initial assessment arranged by Ohme to check if you are a standard or non-standard installation.

How do I charge on a long journey?

Even if you have a home charger fitted, there may be times when you need to charge on-the-go and so it’s good to know public charging has come a long way over the past few years, and continues to improve.

Rapid chargers (with direct current or DC and speeds from 23 kW) and Ultra rapid (from 100 kW) are generally found on major routes and are essentially the petrol stations of the electric world. All electric cars have a maximum charging speed, and all rapid chargers have a maximum output (both are measured in kilowatts (kW)), so try to find a charger which maximises your car’s charging capacity.

Looking for more to charge your EV confidence?

Why not read our helpful article which explores some of your questions about range, charging at home and running cost comparisons. You'll also find out why 9 out of 10^* drivers who go electric never look back (there’s always one isn’t there?) Read the full article here

^{*Source: Article published on Fleetworld in 2023. More details: https://fleetworld.co.uk/more-than-9-in-10-ev-drivers-would-not-return-to-ice-vehicles/}

A mother holding open the door of an ID.4 and two children running around the car

Finding public charge points

Charge on the go with ease using We Charge

Use We Charge, through your Volkswagen app, to quickly find the location of your nearest public charging station. You can then charge your Volkswagen electric car at a great price according to your We Charge Plan.