Volkswagen introduces Plug&Charge and V2G and increases charging power

The automotive manufacturer Volkswagen aims to further simplify charging and has announced the launch of a Plug&Charge function for all ID. models in 2022, similar to the HPC charging network joint venture Ionity. This function is intended to replace the current authentication via a charging card. As soon as the customer plugs in the charging cable, an encrypted and secure communication according to the ISO-15118 standard starts between the car and the fast-charging station. This authentication is expected to take only a few seconds. Billing will continue as usual via the We Charge contract. Plug & Charge will be possible in 2022 in the Ionity, Aral, bp, and EON networks. Discussions with other major partners are currently ongoing.

For home chargers, intelligent charging based on a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) will also be available. It knows all the demands of the consumers so that it can intelligently stagger and manage their power supply. This will especially simplify charging with self-generated solar power for owners of a photovoltaic system. Moreover, with flexible electricity tariffs and algorithms, it is already possible to charge the car exactly when a lot of renewable energy is available. This means that wind turbines, for example, do not have to be shut down because there are no consumers.

"In 2019 alone, 6,500 gigawatt hours of renewable energy in Germany went unused. This could have powered 2.7 million electric cars for a year," outlines the manufacturer.

The potential will be even greater in combination with bidirectional charging, which is also approaching market launch at Volkswagen. Electric cars can feed the electricity they do not need into the customer's home network (Vehicle-to-Home) and in the future also provide it for stabilizing the power grid. All ID. models with the 77-kWh battery will be V2G-capable in the future. For already delivered vehicles, the function will also gradually be available via over-the-air update. The power transfer and communication take place via a special DC-BiDi wallbox.

New software for ID. models increases charging performance

Additionally, all ID. models will soon roll off the production line with a new software version that brings advantages during charging. For the 77-kWh battery, the maximum power increases from 125 to 135 kW (and up to 150 kW for the ID.5 GTX1). This is expected to save up to nine minutes of charging time when charging from 5 to 80 percent SOC (State of Charge). These improvements will soon be activated via software update for already delivered models, promise the Wolfsburg-based company. To preserve the battery, there will also be a new "Battery Care Mode". This limits the charge level (SOC) to a maximum of 80 percent. The charging menu, which now appears on the first level of the large touch display of the ID. models, will also be more informative and tidily structured.

The online route calculation in the navigation system creates a multi-stop route plan for long distances to get the car to its destination as quickly as possible. It takes into account traffic and route data as well as the desired SOC at the destination. The evaluation of charging stops is dynamic and depends on the performance of the stations and their occupancy. As a result, the route planning may suggest two short charging sessions with high power instead of a single long one with low power, the manufacturer promotes.

Supporting the expansion of renewable energy

Volkswagen claims to be the first automotive manufacturer to support the expansion of renewable energy through new wind and solar parks in Europe. These parks are intended to generate and feed into the grid as much green electricity as the ID. family vehicles need to operate and that customers do not already charge themselves with green energy. By 2025, around 20 new facilities are to be built, generating around seven terawatt hours of additional green electricity per year, equivalent to more than 300 new wind turbines. Volkswagen will spend around 40 million euros on this by 2025.