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Volkswagen e-Golf
If you like the Volkswagen Golf but also like the idea of driving an electric car then the Volkswagen e-Golf may be the ideal solution.
The Volkswagen e-Golf has a conventional Golf body, but with a full electric powertrain underneath.
The e-Golf has a range of 118 miles and costs £25,845 after the £5,000 government Plug-in Car Grant. It joins the Volkswagen e-up! to give Volkswagen a range of two electric cars.
You can charge the e-Golf from a standard domestic socket, although this will take 13 hours to take it from empty to full. If you fit a wallbox – which can be done at no cost – then this can reduce the recharging time to eight hours. Volkswagen’s electric car customers are also eligible for a green electricity tariff through Ecotricity.
Using a fast charger the Golf can be recharged to 80 per cent capacity in just 35 minutes.
The Golf’s lithium-ion battery is integrated into the car’s floor and weighs 318 kg. An AC electric motor (85 kW / 115 PS, and 270 Nm) provides drive, linked to the front wheels via a single-speed gearbox.
Acceleration from 0-62 mph takes 10.4 seconds. By comparison the Golf BlueMotion, which is powered by a 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine with 110 PS and 250 Nm, takes 10.5 seconds. Top speed for the e-Golf is 87 mph. Depending on driving style, charge level and ambient conditions, the e-Golf has a range of up to
118 miles.
An optional heat pump helps deliver maximum range in winter. This add-on module for the electric heating and air conditioning uses heat from both ambient air and the vehicle’s drive systems, significantly reducing electricity consumption. It can increase the e-Golf’s range in cold weather by up to 20 per cent.
As well as a standard driving mode, the e-Golf has two economy profiles: ‘Eco’ and ‘Eco+’. ‘Eco’ cuts peak power to 70 kW / 95 PS, reduces the output of the air conditioning system and modifies the accelerator response. Top speed is cut to 74 mph and 0-62 mph takes 12.1 seconds. ‘Eco+’ limits maximum power to 55 kW / 75 PS, torque to 175 Nm, and top speed to 56 mph, while the accelerator response is modified and the air conditioning disabled. In either mode, full performance can be accessed by kicking down on the accelerator pedal, as in a vehicle with a conventional automatic gearbox.
The e-Golf’s range can also be influenced by regenerative braking. There are five modes: D, D1, D2, D3 and B. In D, the vehicle coasts without regenerative braking when the accelerator is lifted. In each other mode, lifting off the accelerator pedal provides greater regenerative braking. In D2, D3 and B, the brake lights are activated when the driver’s foot is lifted from the accelerator pedal, provided that a predetermined level of deceleration is achieved.
In the UK, the e-Golf is available with five doors only, and in a single trim level based on the standard Golf SE.
Read our Volkswagen e-up! review
Read our review of the prototype Volkswagen e-Golf
