EV – 100 % electric vehicle

Mild Hybrid – No external charging required – A self-charging battery assists the traditional engine of the vehicle.

HEV – Hybrid Electric Vehicle.  No external charging required – A self-charging battery.

PHEV – Plug in Hybrid electric vehicle.  Option of using external charger with a limited 100 % electric range circa 20 – 40 miles and will switch into hybrid self-charging battery / petrol engine once the battery is depleted.

AC Charging – AC current is delivered from the national grid to our homes and offices.  When using an AC charger the Electric Vehicle’s internal systems will convert this AC current into a DC current to charge the battery.  AC chargers are small units and have outputs of between 5 Kilowatt Per Hour and 22 Kilowatt Per Hour (KW/H).  Depending on the specific vehicles’ inverter performance will determine the speed at which it will charge. 

For Example –

The ID Buzz charges AC at 11.4 KW/H, so if it is plugged into a charger with an output higher than this, it will charge at its maximum rate of 11.4 KW/H. The Buzz has a 77 KW battery so if we were to charge it from 0 – 77 kw it would take approximately 6 hour 45 mins to charge 100%. If you were to plug into a 5 KW/H output charger it would obviously only charge at 5KW/H.  You can charge the battery using a standard household 3 pin socket and the lead supplied in the vehicle – this will only charge at the rate of 3 KW/h.

DC Charging – DC Chargers are commonly found in Service Stations – Motorway Services – Electric charging centres etc.  The charging point has its own inverter and will deliver DC current straight into the vehicle battery bypassing the vehicles onboard inverter and therefore is much quicker.  DC Fast chargers range from 50 KW/H to 150 KW/H so, you can charge at the speed of the DC charger.   For example, you can fully charge the ID buzz in approximately 30 mins. This time can vary slightly as the last 20% capacity of battery takes longer to charge.

The cost to charge the battery – A simple calculation of the cost p/unit of the electricity multiplied by the amount of KW of energy you add to the battery. 

For example –

If you pay 35 pence per KW at home or your office and you add 50 kw to the battery – £0.35 x 50 is £17.50.  The ID buzz will do approximately 2.5 miles per KW.

You will pay a premium to use a DC chargers. The super-fast DC 150 KW/H chargers will cost around 60p per KW.  So, 50 KW to do 125 miles will cost about £30.  Typically, you can charge 70 % charge in 30 mins.

You can use the ID Buzz infotainment system to find your nearest point.  This will automatically prompt this feature when the battery level reaches 20 %.

There are also apps for your phone available via the app store such as – Charge Point – BP Pulse – Charge your car.  Most charge points will accept credit and debit cards – some you will need to download the relevant App to the make of charger and register and add your card details, it only takes a few minutes to do so.

On the ID Buzz passenger vehicle, the range average range is circa 200 miles – The ID Buzz cargo unladen is Circa 240 miles.  The range displayed in the vehicle whilst driving is reasonably accurate.  If you are carrying lots of weight this range will reduce while driving and it will update automatically in the first 10 -20 miles – the range will also adjust to your driving style.  For example, if you brake late and accelerate quickly this will reduce your range.  If you access the road ahead and lift off and coast to a junction the motor will act like a dynamo and charge the battery, whilst slowing you down.

Warning – there is no reserve feature on any electric vehicles, when the range is Zero it will stop