Are all 2016 E-Golf cars DCFC capable? Where does one take a VW for fast charge?

[whambo]

I'm looking to purchase one of these vehicles but really unsure about which cars have this feature and which ones don't. Is it a subscription or is there actual hardware onboard that makes the car fast charge capable? What is one way I can be certain that the 2016 E-Golf I'm looking to buy is fast charge capable just by looking at it? Is there a VIN character or series of characters that would indicate this?

Along those lines, once I've established the car I'm looking at has fast charge, which charging stations can I go to for a charge and how long can I expect to wait for the car to be recharged? I'm buying a car that is 133 miles away from me so I'll need a charge on the way back.

Thanks!

 

[f1geek]

Not a subscription. Either the car can use DCFC or not. All SELs have the CCS inlet but not all lower trim models do. To be certain you need to open the charging door and look at the vehicle inlet. If there is only a J1772 inlet, then no DCFC. If it has the CCS inlet (J1772 with two additional pins below it) then it can DCFC.

The maximum charge rate of the car at DCFC is about 40 kW. Depending on the temperature of the battery pack, and the state of charge, the car will not always charge at 40 kW. Also, once the pack gets to about 85% SoC (state of charge), the charge rate will drop to protect the pack and the rate will taper down to AC speeds once the SoC gets to around 95%. For the e-golf it does not make sense, if you are in a hurry) to DCFC beyond 85% or 90% SoC.


This explains charging speed:

https://support.fastned.nl/hc/en-gb/articles/205694717-What-determines-the-charge-speed-

You can look here for an e-golf charge curve:

https://support.fastned.nl/hc/en-gb/articles/205205168-Charging-with-a-Volkswagen-e-Golf

Get Plugshare app or ABRP app to plan your trip.


How long will it take? If, say you roll into the charging station at 30% SoC and you want to charge your car to 80% SoC, assuming your battery pack has 20 kWh usable capacity, you need to add 10 kWh of energy (50% of the total usable capacity). Assuming the car takes 40 kW the whole time, 10 kWh/40kW=0.25hours, or 15 minutes. If the battery pack is hot, you won't get 40 kW, or if the station you roll up to won't supply at least 125 amps, then you won't get 40 kW - some stations will only deliver 100 amps (BTC fat boy DCFCs), so that is around 35 kW and some will only give 55 amps, so that is about 19 kW (very small wall or post mounted DCFCs). You can do the math for other cases.

Best of luck!

 

[whambo]

Wow, you've really gone above and beyond to answer my question. Thank you so much! Ready to buy now.

 

[f1geek]

Wonderful! I really like the e-Golf.

 

[whambo]

Thank you!

I've downloaded the Plugshare app and found a station near my house. What does it typically cost to charge the car up to 80% at one of these CCS stations?

Thanks

 

[f1geek]

The cost varies from network to network. The major ones are EVgo, ChargePoint, and Electrify America. There are many others, too. Some charge by time and others by kWh, so I can’t give you an answer. At DCFC locations I find the cost to be around $0.35/ kWh, on average. So using my previous example where you need 10 kWh of energy, that costs $3.50.

Also, if you use public charging a lot, it may make sense to pay a monthly fee to get a reduced charging session cost. Charging at home will always be the cheapest option, except for free public stations.