Living with a Volkswagen Electric Vehicle

Making the switch to an electric vehicle may feel like a huge change if you are used to a petrol or diesel car. But if you look into electric vehicle ownership, there are many perks that help both you and the environment.

Volkswagen have a range of electric vehicles available, including the ID.3 and the all new ID.4. The overall costs of owning an ID.3 are comparable to those a combustion engine vehicle - or even lower. Not only are the prices lower, the ID.3 also offers a competitive range and battery durability. Additionally, all ID. models come with a battery guarantee for eight years or 100,000 miles.

The Range of your EV

If, like many regular drivers, your weekly driving consists mostly of journeys to and from work, the school run or daily errands, then you will most likely travel around 30 miles a day. Depending on the size of your electric car’s battery, this means you’ll probably only need to fully charge once or twice a week, which can be done easily at home or a public charging station.

If you want to travel further afield, then the ID.3 with a 77 kWh battery and a realistic customer range of 240 to 340 miles is the ideal solution. The ID.3 is able to achieve a real-world range of up to 248 miles on the motorway.

Charging your EV

Introducing We Charge, Volkswagen’s new charging service available via Volkswagen’s We Connect ID. app. We Charge allows you to plan your trips comfortably along a public charging network, alerting you to charging stations along your route.

Home charging is also a popular option to provide reassurance that your vehicle can get you where you need to go. The Volkswagen ID. Charger charges your vehicle faster than using a domestic plug socket. At 7.4 kW, the ID.3 is fully charged overnight, from empty to full in 9.5 hours.

The ID. Charger Pro connects to the Internet via WiFi or an Ethernet cable. The charging cable is permanently connected to the charging station, putting an end to searching and untangling.

Costs of owning an EV

The costs of owning an EV are comparable to those incurred when owning a petrol or diesel car, or sometimes even lower. The UK Government’s Plug-in car and van grant offers price deductions on a selection of electric vehicles. The grant compensates for up to £2,500 towards the costs of owning a low-emission vehicle. Dealerships include the grant within the vehicle’s price, for cars that cost less than £35,000 including VAT and delivery fees.

Volkswagen vehicles eligible for this grant include the Volkswagen e-Golf, Volkswagen e-up!, Volkswagen ID.3 Pro and Volkswagen ID.3 Pro Performance. Full details can be found here.

In great news for central city drivers, electric vehicles are exempt from London’s congestion charge, saving you up to £27.50 a day. EVs are completely exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), more commonly known as road tax. This is because for cars registered after March 2001, the tax is calculated using the tailpipe’s CO2 emissions. A further bonus, electric cars can also get free parking in many areas of the UK.

Servicing your EV

An electric vehicle service hardly differs from cars with a petrol or diesel motor. Upon service, your vehicle is checked for the usual service items required legally, for example, the braking system, headlights and taillights, and tyre conditions.

An electric vehicle also includes the following specific electrical checks to ensure complete safety:

Charging cable: a check to ensure the cable is present and it's in good visual condition
High-voltage battery: a check to review the charge level and recharge if necessary
High-voltage components and high-voltage cables: a check to inspect these for damage and correct routing and securing of lines

Electric engines also remove the need for oil changes, saving drivers more money.

Washing your EV

Electric cars are safe to drive in the rain and drive through a car wash. Electric cars have all been extensively tested by their manufacturers to ensure top performance in a range of conditions.

On top of this, electric car chargers are weatherproof, and all charge points have been through rigorous safety testing.