Volkswagen AG is rolling out its own charging service to coincide with the market launch of the ID. family: with We Charge, customers will be able to charge their electric vehicles at over 150,000 public charging points all over Europe. The We Charge charging card gives them easy access to these charging points. Customers have a choice of three individual tariffs with features such as exclusive conditions for the IONITY high-power charging network. We Charge can be booked and used from mid-August. Volkswagen is thus rounding off its “charging ecosystem” that makes charging electric vehicles as convenient as possible.
“As e-mobility increasingly takes to the road, public charging is becoming ever more important. With We Charge, Volkswagen is offering customers the right solution for swift, hassle-free travel in Germany and Europe – electric, eco-friendly and above all, convenient”, said Richard van Tatenhove, Head of Digital Charging Services at Volkswagen.
The charging tariffs are tailored to the different user groups. The We Charge Free basic tariff does not have a monthly fee. It essentially provides access to charging via a single charging card – and is best suited to drivers who only rarely use public charging points to charge their electric cars. We Charge Go offers lower prices for individual charging processes and is the right choice for regular users of public charging points. We Charge Plus is the tariff for all frequent drivers. For example, they only pay 30 eurocent per kilowatt-hour for IONITY in Germany and can therefore use the pan-European high-power charging network at a very attractive price.
Digital control via We Connect ID. app
We Charge offers numerous digital functions relating to charging, all of which can be used via the We Connect ID. app. With the app, users can easily locate all available We Charge charging points. The app also provides important information on charging price and charging point availability (free / in use). Going forward, the app will also give users the option to only show charging points that operate on green power. The intelligent route guidance takes into account available charging points as well as the chosen charging strategy. That is particularly useful for planning long routes. Furthermore, We Charge gives users of the ID. Charger Connect / Pro, Volkswagen’s smart wallbox for home charging, access to additional useful online services such as charging statistics, access management or remote control.
Complete ecosystem for electric car drivers
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 compact ID.301 that can be ordered from today in many European countries, kicks things off. Delivery of the limited edition ID.3 1st02 begins in early September.
At the same time, the brand is offering a complete package for convenient and sustainable charging of electric vehicles – the “We Charge” service. The ID. Charger is a wallbox for home charging. Electric cars can be run emission-free with certified Volkswagen Naturstrom® generated from renewable energy sources. All of these service and products are developed by the Volkswagen subsidiary Elli that is tasked with pushing ahead with charging within the Group.
Through IONITY, Volkswagen is also involved in building up a network of high-power charging stations across Europe (charging capacity of up to 350 kW). There are currently some 250 IONITY charging parks in operation in 20 countries, with a further 50 under construction. It is planned to build a total of 400 charging parks, thus creating the best and most powerful charging network for electric vehicles along Europe’s long-distance transport corridors.
