The Volkswagen e-Golf

Volkswagen’s e-Golf is so much more than just another all electric car; it looks the same as its internal combustion engine counterpart and has an equal amount of passenger space too, but it is much cheaper to run.
VW boast that the e-Golf is their first production model to feature full LED headlights, this makes perfect sense as LED headlights use less electricity than xenon headlights and are still brighter. Other external design features include 16 inch alloy wheels, a blue strip that runs the width of the grille and into the headlights, blue edged VW roundel and LED daytime running lights in the front bumper which are C shaped. Design elements for the interior include beautifully placed touches of blue, on the gear lever, door cards and upholstery stitching; there is also the option of blue ambient lighting. As the e-Golf is based on a standard Golf it means there is room for the whole family, although because some space was allocated to the battery pack the boot size differs from the standard Golf by about 40 litres, still plenty of room for the shopping or that holiday luggage. The rear seats split 60/40, folding down until they are nearly flat, very handy if you need to carry larger items. Climate control, cruise control, sat nav, Bluetooth, sat nav, digital radio, 8 inch colour touch screen, multifunction steering wheel, automatic lights, automatic wipers and front and rear parking sensors complete the well equipped interior and a three year subscription to Car Net is also included as standard, this allows iOS or Android smartphone users to control many functions remotely via an app, such as heating, cooling, charging, etc.
The front wheel drive e-Golf is powered by an AC electric motor – 85 KW/115 PS, and 270 Nm – generating 113bhp, the 264 cell lithium-ion battery weight is 318 kg. The e-Golf can accelerate from 0 to 62 in 10.4 seconds and its top speed is 87 mph. VW say that it has a range of 118 miles but that is a maximum figure and, as with all completely electric vehicles, is entirely dependent upon driving style, ambient conditions and battery charge levels, most test results we have seen reported are coming in at around 90 – 100 miles for average driving style. The battery pack is supplied with an eight year/100,000 mile warranty and VW state that they developed it with the “intention of it having 80 per cent of its original capacity after 10 years’ use”. Charging can be achieved via a standard UK three pin socket which takes 13 hours, alternatively using a 3.6kW wall box will take 8 hours or using the rapid charging inlet gives an 80 per cent charge in 35 minutes.
The Volkswagen e-Golf is not cheap at £25,845, and that is after deducting a £5000 government grant, but it is a great car and one that may well prove popular among those who are not keen on the many odd looking electric cars that are on the market.

Special Thanks MotorBlog for providing the image.