VW ID.4 in the DC charging test: How fast does the car really charge?

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According to VW, charging from 5 to 80 percent takes 38 minutes – with us it was faster

VW ID.4 in the DC charging test: How fast does the car really charge?-really

According to our 70 mph highway range test With the VW ID.4, we stopped at a DC charging station from Electrify America to test the vehicle’s DC fast charging capability.

The ID.4 First Edition that we borrowed has an 82 kWh battery, 77 kWh of which can be used. VW specifies a maximum DC fast charging rate of 125 kW. The vehicle should charge from 5 to 80 percent in 38 minutes.

The outside temperature was only 5 degrees Celsius when we plugged in the plug. It seemed to us possible that the battery would be too cold to reach the maximum charging power of 125 kW. Our concerns were quickly dispelled when the car was already drawing 120 kW in less than a minute.

A few seconds later it reached 128 kW and swung back and forth between 128 kW and 127 kW until the ID.4 was at 30 percent state of charge (SOC) – which only took eleven minutes. The SOC of 50 percent was reached in less than 20 minutes; by then the charging power had dropped to 95 kW.

Here is some data on the charge level after different times:

0:05 start
3:40 DC fast charge recording begins
3:47 10% SOC in 3 minutes
3:56 20% SOC in 8 minutes
4:03 30% SOC in 11 minutes
4:10 40% SOC in 15 minutes
4:20 50% SOC in 19 minutes
4:31 60% SOC in 25 minutes
4:43 70% SOC in 31 minutes
4:58 80% SOC in 38 minutes
5:30 90% SOC in 48 minutes
6:05 am Completion of the store

The charge level of 80 percent was reached after 38 minutes. That is exactly the time that VW calls for charging from 5 to 80 percent. We charged the ID.4 from 2 to 80 percent during this time, which means we even exceeded the promised fast charging time. So Volkswagen didn’t promise too much with the ID.4.

VW ID.4 in the DC charging test: How fast does the car really charge?-fast

127 kW: The ID.4 took slightly more than the 125 kW promised by VW.

The 100 mile range test

One of the things we like to test out about DC fast charging is how long it takes to replenish 100 miles (161 km) of range. Since the ID.4 has an EPA range of 250 miles (402 km), according to the official range it needs 40 percent of the usable capacity to drive 100 miles.

Since we plugged in at 2 percent, we wanted to see how long it would take to reach 42 percent. That would add the 40 percent SOC required to drive 100 miles. That happened in 16 minutes, which is pretty good. The fastest time I’ve recorded so far was a 2019 Tesla Model 3, that recharged 100 miles in 6 minutes and 36 seconds.

Still, at 16 minutes for 100 miles, the ID.4 is high on our list. The car should be a good car for longer journeys, provided there are 150 kW charging stations along the way.

More about fast charging: VW ID.4 in the DC charging test: How fast does the car really charge?-fast VW ID.4 (2021): This is how fast the version with 82 kWh battery charges

VW ID.4 in the DC charging test: How fast does the car really charge?-fast Mercedes EQV: How quickly does the electric V-Class charge with direct current?

At 90 percent SOC, we pulled the plug; up to then a total of 48 minutes had passed. As with most electric cars, the DC fast charge rate drops dramatically once you get near 80 percent SOC. When the battery was 90 percent charged, it only consumed 38 kW. Then it’s really not worth waiting any longer at the station, unless you need the extra kilometers to get to your destination.

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