Volkswagen ID.3: fastest charging hatchback, 350 mile range and 8 year battery warranty

Further details of the battery destined for the much anticipated Volkswagen ID.3 – and future ID. models – have been released. Promising fast charging, a long lifespan that is guaranteed by VW, a range of up to almost 350 miles and VW-developed wall box options, it's little wonder that over 15,000 people have already joined the queue to get one.

Choose your range and charge fast

VW is making a departure from its existing range of EVs with the ID.3 and subsequent ID models by offering them with a choice of battery capacities. Obviously, this isn't exactly ground-breaking across the market as a whole, but for those keen to remain with the German brand, or move to it from – say – a Renault, choice is a big plus.

Whilst we don't know the exact capacities that VW will be offering, we do know that the WLTP ranges will start at 205 miles (similar to the Vauxhall Corsa-e and Peugeot e-208) and top out at 342 miles. This not only offers flexibility in terms of a buyer's preferences – in that a city-dweller might go for a shorter range and shorter charge times – but will also make lower capacity options less expensive. The estimated starting price is around £26,000.

A key attraction of the ID.3 for many people will be its charging capacity of up to 125kW, which is faster than anything yet released in the segment. In the real world, this means that an ID.3 with the highest capacity battery would gain over 160 miles of range for a charge time of just 30 minutes. Given the ID.3’s range of almost 350 miles from full, in the real world owners could complete a 500 mile journey interrupted by a single, 30 minute fast charge.

As is becoming a bit of an industry standard now, Volkswagen guarantees that ID. batteries will retain at least 70 per cent of their 'as new' capacity after eight years or 100,000 miles.

VW-designed wall boxes

According to its own research, Volkswagen expects that around half of all ID. charging operations will take place at owners' homes and a further 20 per cent at their workplace. As such, it has developed a range of wall boxes suitable for these applications which will provide juice at up to 11kW AC. This equates to a zero-to-full battery over the course of a working day, or if left overnight.

A further 25 per cent of charging operations are estimated to take place at public charging stations, and five per cent at motorway charge points, which is where the higher capacity fast chargers fit into the equation.

Production to start before the year's out

Volkswagen is pinning much of its electric future on the success of the ID.3 and its subsequent iterations in all their forms. Even the world record-setting ID.R racing car is demonstrating both VW's investment in technology and its desire to show it off. Now, the brand is nearing the time that it makes the leap from the development phase onto the road, with production set to begin later this year and deliveries early in 2020.