VW ID3 experience stung by recharging challenges

For a long time the weak link in EV ownership has been the charging network. This is especially true of the UK, where dozens of operators are fighting for market share.

The problem is partly because of their business models.

They want create a loyal pool of customers by tying them to monthly membership schemes whereby the charger network is accessed via an app or a special card with embedded RFID chip.

This isn't good if you need to plug surf because if you believe in Murphy's Law then you know that the closest charger won't be included in your network.

The UK government is trying to change this by asking charging operators to install contact-less chip card readers so that motorists can just tap a bank or credit card rather than needing to download an app or join a scheme, making charging simpler.

To determine how far along the UK was in offering hassle-free charging I borrowed a Volkswagen ID3 and tested the infrastructure around the EV-friendly city of Milton Keynes, just north of London.

First, it's not just the charge-point operators that are looking to lock customers into memberships. Automakers are also doing this. ID3 owners, for example, are encouraged to join VW's We Charge membership scheme.

If I had owned the ID3 I tested, which was 1st Edition Pro Power with the mid-spec 58 kilowatt-hour battery, I would have been automatically signed up to We Charge and given 500 pounds (568 euros, $683) of free charging.

After that I would have had to pay up to 13.99 pounds a month for We Charge to qualify for cheaper recharging rates.

The main charging provider in the UK and across Europe for We Charge customers is Ionity, which is partly owned by Volkswagen Group.

While We Charge works with other providers, users on one ID3 forum said their points were hard to find and if they were found they seldom worked.

“[My card] has not worked at any of the chargers shown as a green dot on the map that is part of the app. Whenever I try, the card is rejected as not authorized,” Steve GC wrote on ID3forums.co.uk.

Others had more luck but it was unpredictable.

Ionity is just getting established in the UK, but it has already positioned itself as a premium player, with fast charging speeds of up to 350 kilowatts. But you pay a high charge rate of 0.69 pence per kWh.

With a We Charge Plus membership the price dips to 0.25 pence per kWh.

Not being a We Charge Plus member, I would have to pay full price to top up the ID3 at Ionity's suite of chargers that were installed in 2019 near the M1 motorway.

Also, if you are not a member, you can't just tap your charge card to pay. Instead, you must scan a code on your phone, log into a website, input your card number and then start charging.

Not a good start.

Soon after I plugged in the charger registered an error. I tried the next charger over and got another error code.

Unfortunately, Ionity pre-authorized 67 pounds for each charge, despite neither being successful. That money didn't leave my account, but it was money I couldn't use for several days.

Ionity told me it planned to reduce the pre-authorization amount in an app update this year. It also said only 10 to 20 percent of customers try to use their chargers without a membership.

The five other chargers we tried were run by UK-based firms. One of the biggest is BP Pulse, a network owned by the petroleum giant. The BP Pulse charger I tried in the same location as the Ionity chargers worked much better.

BP last year has committed to installing card payment capability on all new 50- and 150-kW chargers, as well as retrofitting older ones.

I had no problem just tapping my card on a display to start charging, and tapping again to stop. We weren't charging until the ID3 was full. The aim was to determine how user-friendly to chargers were to non-members.

The rest of the chargers I tested were a mix of good and bad.

The best one was run by InstaVolt, part of a company called Chargepoint, which delivered on its promise of providing contactless payment with a regular bank card with no app and no membership needed.

InstaVolt's charger was situated near a fuel station outside of Northampton.

Tying Ionity for worst was a charger run by Ecotricity, which is infamous for its often unreliable network of motorway service chargers that are often situated close to an Ikea.

While the location of the charger, near the store's entrance, was excellent, an app download was required to use it. I managed to install it on the phone and input the intrusive data it required, such as the vehicle registration number, but the ID3 wouldn't accept the electricity.

Driving the ID3 was a pleasure.

The addictive instant acceleration ruined the experience of driving a car equipped with VW Group's DSG dual clutch transmission more so than driving my new personal car, a Skoda Octavia with a manual gearbox.

Perhaps that's because EVs deliver the purest form of automatic gearing (i.e. none), whereas changing gears yourself is a very different way of driving with more control over engine revs.

EV charging, however, remains hit or miss. If I owned an electric car, I would have a home charger so I could avoid the public infrastructure because finding an electricity source that is compatible, working and easy to use without needing a membership is still a long way off.