How Do You Charge a VW E-Golf?

You are considering buying VW’s great hatchback EV, but you don’t know how to charge a Volkswagen E-Golf? Like most EVs, the E-Golf charging can be done by using a Type 2 connector in any outlet, both 120V and 240V, at home or at your workplace.

A standard CCS (combined charging system) connector can also be used for rapid charging in public stations or if you have ordered a station to be placed in your garage or home. To do so, you would require the service of a licensed electrician company, especially if you currently have only 120V outlets in your home.

‍

What Is The Difference Between 120V and 240V Charging?

‍

The main difference between 120V and 240V outlets for your electric vehicle is the rate of battery charging. These are often referred to as level 1 and level 2 chargers. Level 1 chargers can be connected to a 120V outlet and level 2 chargers to a 240V outlet.

The difference between these two is tremendous in terms of speed, as you would need almost 35 hours for a full E-golf charging cycle with a level 1 charge (120 V), while this would take less than 6 hours with the level 2 charger (240 V).

With a CCS 50 kW rapid charging station, the time for your battery to reach 80% would be less than one hour, and if you’re fortunate enough to have a 150 kW one, then that time would get down to almost 35 minutes. 

E-Golf charging is quicker than with a Tesla! But, of course, that’s mainly due to the larger range Tesla has.

‍

How To Charge Volkswagen E-Golf in a 120V Outlet

‍

Charging your E-Golf with a 120V outlet is the easiest thing you can do. Simply plug in the stock charger that comes with your EV at home into your standard 120V outlet. The charging will begin immediately, however, not at very quick speeds compared to level 2 chargers and CCS rapid ones. 

120V or level 1 chargers are most often used by hybrid vehicles that have smaller batteries than traditional fully electrical vehicles like the E-Golf.

‍

How To Charge Volkswagen E-Golf With a 240V Outlet

You can connect your E-Golf’s standard Type 2 240V connector to a 240-volt outlet. 240V, also known as level 2 chargers, sometimes work up to 10 times faster than level 1 ones. In the case of E-Golf charging, a level 2 charger is around five times faster than a level 1.

In order to use level 2 charging, you will also need a connector that’s suitable. The charging cable that comes with your purchase, a standard three-pin plug, can be used for both 240V and 120V outlets.

What is the Difference Between AC and DC Charging?

‍

AC electricity, also known as alternating current, is the type of electricity we use at our homes and offices, while DC or direct current is the type of electricity that is used primarily in production and high-scale facilities to power things through a higher voltage variant. 

Luckily, we can use both AC and DC to charge most electric vehicles, including the E-Golf. All rechargeable batteries used in electric cars store DC electricity; thus, the chargers are used to convert AC to DC. This is one of the many reasons DC chargers are quicker since there’s no energy loss for a conversion.

‍

Charging your EV efficiently?
Save automatically with Optiwatt

‍

If we compare a DC 150kW charging station to level 1 120V outlet charging, then the DC charger is around 70 times quicker. DC rapid charging stations are usually known as level 3 charging. 

‍

How To Charge Volkswagen E-Golf on a Rapid Charging Station

Rapid charging stations, or level 3 charging stations, are all equipped with a special CCS connector that you can plug into your car, so you aren’t required to own one yourself. 

The only charging stations you won’t be able to access with your E-Golf are the ones from the Tesla charging network, which use a special connector to prevent other EVs aside from Tesla from charging. This might change in the future, as the company has disclosed some plans to make all stations publicly available to other electric vehicles, aside from their own brand. 

‍

Where Do Most People Charge Their EVs?

As of 2022, according to energy.gov, it’s estimated that around 80% of electric vehicle owners charge their cars at home, using either 120V outlets, 240V outlets, or charging stations installed by licensed electricians.

Of course, if you wish to charge your EV at a charging station, it would be slightly more expensive but much quicker. A charging station can also be requested for installation at your home or garage. These require 240V outlets to be preinstalled.

‍

How to Unplug The Charger From E-Golf Volkswagen

When your Volkswagen E-Golf has its doors locked, nobody will be able to unplug it from the charging stations as a preventive measure. So before unplugging, unlock your doors.

Moreover, you need to have the car in parking mode (parked position). Then press and hold the charger button right in front of the shift stick. Then click the door-unlock button on your left (driver’s side) door (right side of the car if you are in the UK). You will then hear an unlocking sound. This will unlock the charger of the E-Golf, and you can now proceed to take the connector off safely.

‍

How to Charge Your E-Golf To Increase Battery Life

All EV batteries can be harmed by the detrimental charging habits of a negligent owner. For example, charging your battery up to 100% is rarely recommended by the manufacturers of batteries.

Aside from that, limiting yourself to rarely going below 10% is also something big electric vehicle and battery manufacturers like Tesla recommend.

Keep in mind that using DC rapid charging stations all the time might also harm the battery life of your electric car. In the end, the higher charging rates of the direct current would ultimately lower the efficiency of your battery in the long run.