Charging & range

How far your electric car can go

Battery technology has come a long way since the first electric cars were produced. Now you can go further on a single charge than ever before, making electric cars a serious alternative.

Illustration of a map showing Volkswagen electric vehicle charging and range.

How is electric car range worked out?

a front view of a red ID.5 driving along a mountain range

Electric vehicles must state their standard range according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). All car manufacturers must put their electric models through WLTP.

Note that WLTP only takes driving into account when it calculates range, but range is also affected by other factors including air conditioning, driving conditions and what kind of road is being driven on.

Electric for all your driving needs

The everyday commuter

If like many other drivers you regularly use your car for running errands and getting to and from work, you most likely travel around 30 miles a day. Depending on the size of your electric car’s battery this means you’ll probably only need to fully charge once or twice a week. You can do this at home, at work if your employer provides a charging station, or even while you're shopping, with many car parks now offering charging facilities.

Street map that shows a route from home to the supermarket and to school.

Weekend trips and short journeys

Of course, it won’t always be short errands you’ll need your car for. Travelling further afield is more than possible with an electric car. The ID.3, for example, is able to achieve a real-world range of up to 248 miles on the motorway.

A map that shows the route leading from home to the office and to the holiday destination outside of town

The holidaymaker

Even on longer journeys, an electric vehicle can go the distance. If you are travelling to the continent or heading to the other end of the country, you can use your rest stops as an opportunity to top up your vehicle’s battery at a service station using a fast-charging point.

Map of northern Europe showing the route from home to the holiday destination. Along the way are multiple charging stations.

How to maximise your electric range

1
Select the right driving mode

Our electric and PHEV cars come with different driving modes to help you find the right drive for your needs. The all-electric e‑up! and e‑Golf each come with three driving modes, Normal ECO, and ECO+.

The hybrid GTE models come with five modes, including the ability to switch between 100% petrol engine and 100% electric motor. Visit our dedicated driving mode pages to discover more.

Electric driving modes
Hybrid driving modes

2
Regenerative braking

When the brakes are used, they produce energy. In the past this energy would be lost, but our electric cars store it and put it to good use. Regenerative breaking can be used to power features such as climate control, making your car even more efficient.

Find out more

3
The Think Blue Trainer

The Think Blue Trainer helps you get more range from your car. By tracking and analysing your driving style, it gives you feedback and tips on how to drive more efficiently. The Think Blue Trainer is available to download to your smartphone now

portal.volkswagen-we.comOpens an external link

Impresses over long distances

If you want to cover even longer distances for either work or your private life, then the ID.3 with a 77 kWh battery and a realistic customer range of 240 to 340 miles is the ideal solution for you.

Did you know that you have to charge your electric vehicle only two to three times over a distance of around 500-600 miles? This way even greater distances can be covered without any stress. And there are no objections to stretching out your legs and enjoying a snack or a coffee in between, right?

As you do that, you can simply use IONITY’s quick charging stations. IONITY is a new high-power charging network which was created by Volkswagen, together with other automotive partners, and will build as well as operate around 400 quick charging stations throughout Europe by 2020. You can easily pay for this via We Charge on our We Connect ID. app.

Great range. Great flexibility.

Do you already drive an electric vehicle or want to get your hands on one? That’s excellent! Because now you know that the ranges are far greater than you thought.

Whether on short or long distances, in everyday life or on holiday trips – as of now you will be just as flexible with our custom-made ID.3 models and their perfectly tailored infrastructural solutions and mobility services as with petrol or diesel engine cars.

Find out more

Electric car range

Build something beautiful from the ID. Range

The best way to get to know the ID. Range is to build one. Choose your preferred model and use our configurator to pick your colour, wheels, engine and more.

Configure your new car

Next steps

The charging guide

Go further with electric

Find a charger near you

Lithium-ion batteries, of the type used in most electric vehicles (including Volkswagen electric vehicles) have a restricted lifespan. Battery capacity will reduce over time, with use and charging. Reduction in battery capacity will affect the performance of the vehicle, including the range achievable, and may impact resale value. New car performance figures (including battery capacity and range) may be provided for the purposes of comparison between vehicles. You should not rely on new car performance figures (including battery capacity and range), in relation to used vehicles with older batteries, as they will not reflect used vehicle performance in the real world. For further information on battery degradation/preservation please visit: www.volkswagen.co.uk/en/electric-and-hybrid/should-you-go-electric/servicing/battery-maintenance-and-waranty.html

Important information :

^If you are selecting a Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 or ID.7 then prices shown are the MDP (Manufacturer's Direct Price).  This is the price set by Volkswagen which you pay for the vehicle.  Volkswagen ID vehicles are sold by Volkswagen UK, a trading division of Volkswagen Group United Kingdom Limited (please note that you will need to visit an authorised Volkswagen Retailer (acting as agent for Volkswagen UK) to order, purchase and take delivery of your Volkswagen ID vehicle).  The MDP includes delivery to an authorised Volkswagen Retailer (acting as agent for Volkswagen UK), number plates, new vehicle registration fee, the first year's Vehicle Excise Duty and VAT (calculated at 20%).  You can find out more about the Volkswagen model for selling ID vehicles by clicking https://www.volkswagen.co.uk/en/legal/mdp-explained.html.

If you are selecting any other Volkswagen vehicle (excluding the Volkswagen ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.7) then prices listed are Manufacturer’s ‘On the road’ Recommended Retail Price. Actual prices are set by Volkswagen authorised retailers in their sole discretion – always obtain these prices from your chosen Volkswagen Retailer.  Recommended On-The-Road (OTR) retail prices include: delivery charge, number plates, new vehicle registration fee, the first year's Vehicle Excise Duty and VAT (calculated at 20%). 

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information above. Prices are taken from the Volkswagen website - this website contains a large number of products and it is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some of the products listed may be incorrectly priced. Volkswagen may change prices at any time (this includes where there are government changes in regulation and/or legislation). There may be a delay to any price displaying correctly on our materials and it is always possible that, despite our best efforts, some vehicles may be incorrectly priced. Always check prices with your local retailer.

For fuel consumption and CO2 information for vehicles, view values in the configurator.

Please be advised we may not be able to provide valuations for vehicles which are outside certain age or mileage ranges, specialist or customised, or not registered in the UK. The actual sale price is dependent on a number of additional factors, which you can discuss further with your retailer. T&Cs will apply.