The Volkswagen ID.4 Is Getting Plug & Charge But Only At Electrify America
The U.S.-made Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover is getting the plug & charge functionality that allows owners to simply plug it into a charger without having to manually input payment details every time.
The feature will be available starting in early 2024 for the 2023 model year ID.4 but only at Electrify America DC fast charging stations, according to the German automaker. As a reminder, EA is owned by Volkswagen Group of America, which also manufactures the ID.4 at the Chattanooga Tennessee assembly plant.
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Easier charging for the Volkswagen ID.4 in the U.S.
The 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover is getting the plug & charge functionality starting in early 2024. The feature allows owners to simply plug their EVs at Electrify America DC fast chargers without having to swipe a payment card.
To enable plug & charge, ID.4 owners have to activate the feature in the Electrify America smartphone app. Then, when they connect their EV to a DC fast charger, the car communicates with the network and automatically starts charging. In other words, there will be no more card swiping or manual data entry–it should just work.
VW says that owners of the 2023 ID.4 get three years of 30-minute DC fast charging sessions with Electrify America and that the new plug & charge feature makes it easier to take advantage of the free charging sessions.
It’s the same principle that’s been available for many, many years for Tesla owners who recharge their EVs at Tesla Superchargers, and it’s pretty convenient–if it works.
That said, bidirectional charging still isn’t available for U.S. market ID.4s, which would allow owners to export energy from the EV’s battery and practically turn it into a mobile generator, just like Ford, General Motors, Tesla, and others are offering.
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Bidirectional charging that enables the vehicle-to-home (V2H) function is available in Europe for ID models that are equipped with the 77-kilowatt-hour (usable) battery pack and are running ID Software version 3.5 or higher. This includes the facelifted ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.7, and ID.Buzz.
In the United States, Volkswagen is “investigating” the feature, a company spokesperson told InsideEVs in December 2023, so take that as you may.
U.S.-made ID.4 EVs are available with either a 62 kWh (gross capacity, 58 kWh usable) or an 82 kWh (gross, 77 kWh usable) battery pack. Rear-wheel drive comes as standard and there’s the option of an all-wheel drive powertrain.
