IONITY benefits. The charging tariffs are tailored to meet the needs of different user groups. Customers purchasing an ID.3 automatically benefit from the “We Charge Go” tariff at no additional cost. This also includes a reduced price of currently 53 euro-cents per kilowatt-hour (in Germany) for using the IONITY rapid charging network. “We Charge Plus” is the tariff for frequent drivers. Customers with this tariff currently pay only 29 euro-cents per kilowatt-hour for charging on the IONITY network in Germany. They can use the rapid charging network throughout Europe at an especially attractive price. The package costs €9.73 (Germany) or €9.99 (Europe) per month, which already pays in the case of only one average charging operation per month. The basic tariff “We Charge Free” is also available to drivers of other brands. This covers the complete charging network with more than 150,000 charging points and ensures a basic service for charging on the road.
Digital control. We Charge offers a wide range of digital functions connected with charging, which can all be used via the We Connect ID. app. For example, these functions makes it easy for users to find all the We Charge charging points that are available. The app also provides important information on charging prices and the availability status (vacant or occupied) of charging points. In future, it will also be possible to search only for charging points operated using green power. The intelligent route planning function takes into account both the charging points available and the charging strategy preferred by the user, making it easier to plan long trips.
3. IONITY rapid charging network
High-power charging. In order to make e-mobility fit for widespread use on long journeys, Volkswagen is operating a pan-European network of fast charging stations together with industrial partners under the umbrella of IONITY. 400 HPC (high-power charging) stations will be available along highways throughout Europe – every 120 kilometers, with charging points for more than 2,400 vehicles. IONITY offers charging capacities of up to 350 kW und and will be operated with green power throughout Europe. The charging network is also available to all users, including drivers of brands which do not form part of the joint venture. In addition to the IONITY stations, other suppliers have planned more than 2,200 new HPC facilities.
A meaningful addition for urban areas. To date, high-power charging stations have mainly been installed along highways and other major long-distance roads. In future, high-power charging could also be a meaningful addition to the normal charging infrastructure available in urban areas. This would give electric car drivers considerably more charging options and would also relieve the load on the distribution network. Rapid charging stations use the medium-voltage network, reducing the load on the busier low-voltage network. Volkswagen has already launched a pilot project in this area. A total of 28 rapid charging stations have now been installed in Wolfsburg, away from the highway network.