These summer road trips do also show up where ID. Buzz is slightly flawed, in that 200 miles is the absolute top-end of reliable range. Efficiency is creeping up from 2.7 to 3.0 miles per kWh thanks to the amount of time sitting at a cruise-controlled 65mph on longer runs, but a few more real-world miles would just give a little extra breathing space. Or, indeed, the ability to go further and still get home again without needing to top-up the VW at a public chargepoint.
But at least I’m getting acquainted with the public network around the country, and in my increasing experience the big problem is cost rather than availability. High-speed charging is wallet-clenchingly expensive and a real blocker for higher-mileage drivers. If you can charge the majority of your miles at home, then EVs make perfect sense, but every time I have to use a public charger, I wince at the cost versus a petrol car. Overall, the sums still add up, but a bigger battery is coming on the Buzz late this year, and the extra 20-plus miles of real-world range would be handy.
But the thing I haven’t struggled with at all is availability of charging points. Be it motorway service stations (and you quickly get to know which ones have a good bank of chargers) or other little gems that I’ve discovered either on or just off my regular routes, I’m yet to encounter a queue of electric vehicles waiting to charge. Maybe it’s just been down to luck and I’m about to have a horrendous charging experience, but so far so good over several months.
It would be nice if the VW charged a bit quicker though. Despite the official maximum charging speed being 170kW, I haven’t seen anything above 135kW yet, so there’s a bit more lingering in car parks than is ideal.
