What EV Charger Do You Need for a 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 1st?
Buying a 50 amp or 80 amp charger for your 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 1st wastes money because the car caps AC charging at 48 amps. You need a 48 amp Level 2 setup to hit the maximum onboard charging rate of 11.0 kW. A larger unit will cost more on hardware and installation without speeding up your daily turnaround.
The numbers
| Maximum AC charging rate | 11.0 kW (48 A) |
|---|---|
| Charger size to buy | 48 A |
| Circuit breaker required | 60 A |
| Outlet / connection | hardwired (a 48 A EVSE must be hardwired -- no household receptacle is rated for it) |
| Charge port | J1772 |
| Full charge on Level 2 | about 8.0 hours |
| Range added per hour (Level 2) | about 31 miles |
| Full charge on a 120 V outlet | about 61 hours |
| Range added per hour (120 V) | about 4.1 miles |
| EPA rated range | 250 miles |
| Energy for a full charge | about 87.5 kWh at the wall |
Why 48 amps and not more
The ID.4 1st draws 48 amps at 240 volts through its onboard charger. Pushing more amperage into the vehicle is impossible because the internal hardware regulates the maximum draw. At this 48 amp rate, your battery goes from empty to full in 8.0 hours. You recover 31 miles of range for every hour plugged into Level 2 equipment. Buying a 50 amp or 80 amp EVSE changes nothing about the vehicle intake speed.
What the install involves
Delivering 48 amps requires a 60 amp dedicated breaker in your electrical panel. Code prohibits plugging a 48 amp load into a wall outlet because household receptacles cannot handle continuous loads that high. You must hardwire the EVSE directly to the circuit. Hire a licensed electrician to run heavy gauge copper wire from the panel to the mounting location.
Chargers that match this car
Energy monitoring built in. Hardwire it for the full 48 A.
Compact unit, good for tight garages.
Adjustable from 16 A to 50 A in the app, which helps if your panel is tight.
Worth having as well
Common questions
- How long does a full charge take?
- A full charge takes 8.0 hours using a 48 amp Level 2 supply. Plugging into a standard Level 1 household outlet stretches that time to 61 hours.
- What kind of plug does the car use?
- The car uses a J1772 connector for Level 2 AC charging. Every non-Tesla EV sold in North America through 2024 uses this standard.
- Can I use a 50 amp charger like the ChargePoint Home Flex?
- Yes, but the ChargePoint unit must be configured for 48 amps or lower during setup. The car cannot draw the full 50 amps offered by that specific unit.
- How many miles of range do I get per hour?
- Level 2 charging adds 31 miles of range per hour. Level 1 charging adds 4.1 miles of range per hour.
Other vehicles
Charging times derived from EPA data for the 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 1st. Electrical requirements follow NEC 625.41, which sizes a circuit at 125% of a continuous load. Always have a licensed electrician verify your panel.