Yahoo Autos VW ID.4 Will Come with 3 Years of Free Charging at Electrify America Stations
Ahead of the full reveal of the ID.4 electric SUV later this week, which will go on sale in the U.S. later this year, the German automaker said that buyers of the model will receive three years of unlimited charging at Electrify America stations. The compact electric SUV, which will be the first ID-branded model from Volkswagen scheduled to go on sale in North America, will benefit from a charging network that Volkswagen's subsidiary has been constructing in the U.S.
"To increase range confidence, Volkswagen will provide ID.4 customers, who lease or purchase the electric SUV, with access to Electrify America's more than 470 charging stations and over 2,000 DC fast chargers, including a newly completed cross-country route to take electric vehicle (EV) drivers from Washington D.C. to L.A.," the automaker said.
Sitting on the automaker's MEB platform, which will underpin a large number of EV models across Volkswagen Group brands, production of the ID.4 began just days ago in Zwickau, Germany, joining the smaller ID.3 hatch. The ID.4 is expected to offer a range of up to 310 miles in the top version, and about 250 miles in the base variant, and will be offered in a number of different trims and powertrain combinations. The base model is expected to be rear-wheel drive, while the top version could offer all-wheel-drive capability.
The base rear-wheel drive version is expected to go on sale first, and to be joined by the all-wheel drive version a little later. Pricing for U.S. models has not been announced just yet — we should have a better idea later this week, after the full reveal of the crossover — but it's expected to start in the low-$30,000 range before the application of a $7,500 tax credit. The range-topping version, meanwhile, is expected to stretch only to about $45,000, so this will not be a pricey luxury model aimed at early adopters.
"The ID.4 was engineered, loaded and priced to win the hearts of SUV owners who are simply ready to go electric — and fall in love with Volkswagen again," said Scott Keogh, CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. "By adding three years of fast charging at no additional cost through Electrify America, we are eliminating all barriers for mainstream compact SUV buyers to go electric."
VW's decision to sweeten the deal with three years of free charging at EA stations was perhaps not unforeseen, as the automaker had launched Electrify America as part of its penance for the diesel crisis and has been promoting electric vehicle infrastructure in the U.S. in a brand-neutral manner.
Electrify America's network is planned to almost double in the next 12 months, with the company expecting to have 800 charging stations online by the end of 2021, with 3,500 DC fast chargers at these stations.
