VW ID.4 to get three years of free EA Charging

JCHLi

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Just as a point of clarification... Free "supercharging" only exists in the EU until Tesla fixes their bug..

This would be more appropriately free EA charging...
 
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benboy12

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Just as a point of clarification... Free "supercharging" only exists in the EU until Tesla fixes their bug..

This would be more appropriately free EA charging...
Updated
 

GoGoGadgetMachE

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that post doesn't link to the source, which is just dumb on Electrek's part.

here's the press release: Electrify America and Volkswagen of America announce agreement providing unlimited charging plan for owners of the all-new 2021 ID.4 electric SUV - Volkswagen US Media Site (vw.com)

the disclaimer is interesting:
Âą Non-transferable. Not available for commercial use, such as ridesharing. Requires Electrify America account, app, and acceptance of Terms of Use. After user-initiated charge session stop or vehicle reaches full charge, and 10-min grace period, Idle Fees will apply and user is responsible. In the event of suspected fraud or abuse or other unforeseen events, Volkswagen of America may discontinue or modify the offer in its sole discretion.
to me, this suggests, without saying, there will be an unstated limit where they will come after you if you use it too much.
 
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benboy12

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that post doesn't link to the source, which is just dumb on Electrek's part.

here's the press release: Electrify America and Volkswagen of America announce agreement providing unlimited charging plan for owners of the all-new 2021 ID.4 electric SUV - Volkswagen US Media Site (vw.com)

the disclaimer is interesting:


to me, this suggests, without saying, there will be an unstated limit where they will come after you if you use it too much.
I don’t know if I see this as a limit as much as a deterrent to park and leave because it’s free, and preventing other customers from using charging stations.
 


GoGoGadgetMachE

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I don’t know if I see this as a limit as much as a deterrent to park and leave because it’s free, and preventing other customers from using charging stations.
for the idle charge, sure. but the rideshare/commercial disclaimer is what leads me to think there's an unstated limit - folks that can't necessarily charge at home as often. Just speculation on my part.
 

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benboy12

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Wow! That beats the 2 years free charging we got with our Leaf. May Ford will sweeten their pot a bit from 3 fills?
Yes, should be interesting to see if Ford responds. The ID.4 will be fully unveiled on Friday. While I expect the MME to win from a performance perspective, I’m wondering if the ID.4 will undercut in the price area and offer free charging and force Ford to make a move to keep the MME competitive.
 

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I'm not a fan of free DCFC charging. DCFC should be reserved for road trip use. However, "free" encourages usage by local drivers, and doesn't necessarily improves EV ownership experience due to the hassle associated with driving to an EA location. That being said, maybe EA just doesn't get enough traffic nowadays to be profitable. And this is necessary to help its business viability. I don't feel strongly.

Competition is good. Let's see what Ford does.
 

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I'm not a fan of free DCFC charging. DCFC should be reserved for road trip use. However, "free" encourages usage by local drivers, and doesn't necessarily improves EV ownership experience due to the hassle associated with driving to an EA location. That being said, maybe EA just doesn't get enough traffic nowadays to be profitable. And this is necessary to help its business viability. I don't feel strongly.

Competition is good. Let's see what Ford does.
The free charging is just a sweetener to buy the car and removes a mental barrier to adoption. Once a critical mass is reached, VW will first shorten the free charging period then will ditch it altogether. Putting a 3yr limit on it is a wise move.

Porsche Taycan owners get unlimited 30 minutes sessions for three years too. It's possible that will be the case for the ID4, especially since it'll do 10% to 80% in 30 mins at a 150kW+ charger.
 

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I wonder if Ford will throttle charging down if you use DCFC a lot. This will be a dealbreaker for owners that don't have access to a daily level 2 charger.

I got a 2018 model S with 24k miles this weekend while my model 3 is in for another service. This car charges SO slow. I never get over 70kW. even at a 250kW V3 station. Reading online it seems like Tesla throttles DCFC for cars that use it a lot.

Do makes other than Tesla do this?
 

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I'm not a fan of free DCFC charging. DCFC should be reserved for road trip use. However, "free" encourages usage by local drivers, and doesn't necessarily improves EV ownership experience due to the hassle associated with driving to an EA location. That being said, maybe EA just doesn't get enough traffic nowadays to be profitable. And this is necessary to help its business viability. I don't feel strongly.

Competition is good. Let's see what Ford does.
I rarely used my free Leaf charging when I was local. I mostly used it on road trips. I think most drivers won't rack up big bills.
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