Volkswagen Gives The ID. Buzz 500 kWh Worth Of Free DC Fast Charging

The ID.Buzz will come with 500 kWh worth of free DC fast charging on the Electrify America network. It will have three years of Electrify America's Pass+, which should save about 25% on DC fast charging compared to the standard pay-as-you-go model.

It’s Volkswagen ID. Buzz week here in the automotive world. Our own Mack Hogan is currently in NorCal, driving the U.S. specification of Volkswagen’s retro-styled electric van. Of course, the ID. Buzz’s pricing and specifications have got plenty of criticism, but it looks like VW is trying to sweeten the pot, at least a little bit—all new ID. Buzz models will come with three years' worth of Electrify America’s Pass+ membership and 500 kWh worth of free charging. 

I know that for some, this may sound complicated and not be worth all that much in the way of value. After all, 500 kWh of fast charging for the ID. Buzz’s 91 kWh battery is really only a handful of DC fast charging sessions. But the real utility comes from the Electrify America Pass+ membership. Volkswagen says it saves, on average, about 25% compared to a regular pay-as-you-go charging feature. 

Most notable is that the ID. Buzz will have Plug and Charge, meaning the van’s owner won’t have to fumble with any sort of app. Just plug the van in, and all the billing and account details will be taken care of. Volkswagen says the ID. Buzz’s access to the “open DC fast-charging electric vehicle network in the U.S.” will ensure that drivers can “fully embrace electric mobility.”

Of course, the “open DC Fast Charging EV network” does come with a caveat. Tesla’s network is much larger, but it’s predicted that manufacturers will eventually switch to NACS (and provide owners with an adapter). Manufacturers that haven’t switched to NACS (like VinFast) won’t be able to use the Tesla Supercharger network, even if the cars use an adapter. Volkswagen plans to switch to the NACS port starting in 2025, albeit it’s not entirely clear when. The ID. Buzz will launch with the standard CCS1 port. 

Still, free charging is a nice perk for ID. Buzz owners, even if it’s not at a Tesla Supercharger. Electrify America has more than 900 “hyper-fast” (350 kW) charging stations across the country. This means, in theory, ID. Buzz owners shouldn’t have too rough of a time on a road trip, even if the van’s 234-mile maximum range is a little disappointing. As EV adoption grows, manufacturers are becoming stingier with their complimentary charging perks, if not dropping them entirely. The days of Tesla’s free supercharging for life are long gone.