Volkswagen ID.Buzz EV Charging Cable

Three sizes of battery to match three sizes of van

Short wheelbase cars ran 77 kWh usable to 2024 and 79 kWh after, quoted at 263 and 286 miles WLTP. The long wheelbase six and seven seaters carry 86 kWh usable for 303 miles. The SWB GTX is 79 kWh and 261 miles, and Cargo is 77 kWh net from an 82 kWh gross pack.

That 11 kW headline needs three phases behind the socket. One phase, which is what a house gets, means 7.4 kW. Every version uses the same 11 kW three phase charger, so at a British house they all draw 7.4 kW and the pack size decides the hours. On 86 kWh that is about thirteen from genuinely empty.

How long a full charge takes

The arithmetic is simple: kWh over kW, 13 per cent on top for losses, rounded to the nearest quarter hour. Range added per hour assumes a year round 3.5 miles per kWh rather than a best case figure. Columns are the original short wheelbase, the current short wheelbase and GTX, and the long wheelbase. Fleet testing of the Cargo puts a full AC charge at about seven and a half hours, which is a three phase figure.

DC rapid charging runs from 170 to 200 kW depending on version, so the Type 2 lead is for the depot, the driveway and the car park rather than the motorway.

Why length matters more on this one

The inlet is on the rear offside flank, the same position as every other MEB Volkswagen and confirmed not to mirror for right hand drive. What is different here is the vehicle: 4.71 metres short wheelbase and 4.96 long, tall and square, and frequently parked wherever it fits rather than wherever is convenient.

Reverse in with the charge point on the right and 5 metres will reach. Anything else on a van this size and 10 metres is not generosity, it is the size that works. A yard, a long drive or shared parking is where the 15 and 20 metre versions start to make sense. Park the car where it normally lives, walk the run with a tape, and buy the next size up from what you measure.

How these cables are built

The cable meets IEC 62196-2, carries the CE mark, is sealed to IP55 and is specified from -30C to +50C.

The three pin unit is IEC 62752 compliant, CE marked, IP67 against water and rated -30C to +60C. The manufacturer warrants it for two years, delivery in the UK is free and next working day, and returns run to 30 days.

Also from Volkswagen: Volkswagen ID.3 EV Charging Cable. The full range of Volkswagen charging cables is on one page.

Volkswagen ID.Buzz charging cable questions

What cable does an ID.Buzz need?

A 32A single phase Type 2 to Type 2 cable, and we would buy 10 metres on a vehicle this size unless you reliably reverse in with the charge point on the right.

How long does an ID.Buzz take to charge at home?

About eleven and three quarters for the 77 kWh short wheelbase and thirteen for the 86 kWh long wheelbase, from empty at 7.4 kW.

Is the Cargo any different?

Not for charging. It carries 77 kWh net from an 82 kWh gross pack with the same 11 kW charger, though we have not been able to confirm its port position separately from the passenger versions.

Where does an ID.Buzz plug in?

The rear offside flank, on the right of the body, the same as every other MEB Volkswagen. It stays on that side on a right hand drive vehicle.