Just days ahead of the unveiling of the ID.4, Volkswagen announced that in the U.S., the new 2021 ID.4 will come with an unlimited charging plan on Electrify America nationwide network.
New owners, who lease or purchase the car, will be able to fast charge for three years at no additional cost to the vehicle’s purchase price, although the promotion is non-transferable and not available for commercial use, such as ridesharing.
The announcement is not a surprise in any way, as Electrify America is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, established to handle post-Dieselgate's requirements regarding building charging infrastructure and other EV-related tasks.
According to terms of use, the idle fees still apply for those who fail to disconnect and remove the vehicle within 10-minutes after charging:
"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."
Currently, Electrify America has more than 470 stations with more than 2,000 individual fast chargers. By the end of 2021, those numbers are expected to increase to around 800 stations and 3,500 fast chargers.
Prices and brief specs of the ID.4 in the U.S. will be released soon, at the unveiling on September 23, 2020. The ID.4 should charge at up to 125 kW (the top battery version).
Scott Keogh, CEO, Volkswagen Group of America said:
“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. 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.”
Volkswagen ID.4 news