We believe that the majority of Volkswagen ID.4 owners will probably have never owned, or even driven an electric vehicle before. So we put together a comprehensive, how to charge the Volkswagen ID.4 video, that explains everything from simple level 1 charging at home up to public DC fast charging. 

Because there are different connectors as well as a different electricity supply, we need to point out that this video is made specifically for the North American market. While there is a lot of overlap, European ID.4 customers will have a slightly different charging experience because of the differences. 

The ID.4 is capable of accepting up to 11kW from a 48-amp level 2 charging source. However,  Volkswagen only provides a 120-volt level 1 EVSE that can deliver slightly more than 1 kW to the vehicle. Therefore, most ID.4 owners will probably opt to buy a more powerful level 2, 240-volt home EVSE for daily charging.

When we plugged in the level 1 EVSE that's supplied with the vehicle, the ID.4 reported that it was charging at a rate of 2 miles per hour, which is about what we'd expect. We then plugged in a 16-amp, a 32-amp, a 40-amp, and finally a 48-amp level 2 charger, and the ID.4 reported charging at rates of 10, 20, 27 & 32 miles per hour, respectfully. 

We know not everyone needs to listen to some of the more elementary aspects of EV charging that we covered, so we're including the various timestamps below. Therefore, those that would prefer skipping some of the EV charging basics have that option.

We then explain how DC fast charging works, the different connectors currently being used, and why it's important to download apps like PlugShare and Chargeway. Those apps can help ID.4 owners find the DC fast-charging stations that are working, and also not pull up to a CHAdeMO-only DC fast charge station when they need to charge. 

We also explain how they can use Tesla Destination chargers with the properly-sized Tesla to J1772 adapter, and how to schedule charging to take advantage of time-of-use electricity plans. 

So check out the video and let us know if we missed anything. We're going to be doing these charging-deep dive videos on all the new EVs as they hit the market, so let us know if we need to add anything in the future editions. Keep in mind, it's a long video and we intentionally went slow so even those completely unfamiliar with EV charging can follow along. As always, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Source: State Of Charge (YouTube)

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