Volkswagen ID.7 - Range, charging & running costs

Electric range, battery life and charge time

The entry-level Volkswagen Pro can do up to 382 miles on a charge, while a larger battery pack in the Pro S version increases the driving range up to 437 miles. 

However, efficiency is becoming ever more important, and in the former, the range and useable battery capacity equate to a pretty punchy 4.9mi/kWh efficiency. We didn’t come anywhere close to that during our initial testing, although the poor weather conditions, and the inefficient stop-start nature of driving while also trying to nail down pictures and driving impressions didn't help. During a more thorough group test with its five main rivals, we found the VW ID.7 was the third most efficient on the test, but its 3.4mi/kWh still only equates to an overall real-world range of 262 miles based on the useable 77kWh battery pack. 

It is a shame that VW still charges extra for a heat pump, which is standard on many of the ID.7’s rivals, and helps to improve the range in colder weather by giving you an efficient way of heating the interior without having to use as much electricity from the battery.

Rapid charging is possible at up to 170kW for the 77kWh Pro model – matching the base Tesla Model 3. The 86kWh Pro S ups the charging speed to 200kWs, but that falls short of the Tesla Model 3 Long Range, which is capable of 250kW top-ups. Either way, VW’s charging curve is sufficiently flat that the maker claims a 10-80 per cent refill in either version is possible in under 30 minutes – that’s roughly the same as the range-topping Tesla. Those who have access to a 7.4kW wallbox charger at home should be able to refill a flat battery (a worst-case scenario) in a little over 12 hours for the Pro version, and just under 14 hours for the Pro S.

Tax

Electric cars like the ID.7 will cost company car drivers less in terms of lower Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rates compared with traditional petrol, diesel, or even hybrid-powered cars because of zero-tailpipe emissions. EVs also benefit from not having to pay road tax or the London congestion charge, at least until 2025. 

Insurance groups

Insurance for an electric car isn’t going to be as inexpensive as an equivalent petrol or diesel car, but the group 38 rating for the Volkswagen ID.7 Pro and 39 for the Pro S are likely to be more affordable than the group 41 rating for the Long Range Model 3, or the group 48 rating for the BYD Seal.

Depreciation

The VW badge is a known quantity, which helps with regard to desirability and the predicted resale values of the ID.7 compared with its rivals. According to our expert data, the ID.7 is likely to retain around 53 per cent of its resale value over three years or 36,000 miles, which is much better than the 40 to 47 per cent a Polestar 2 is expected to retain, or the 44 to 47 per cent the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is likely to maintain over the same period.