Volkswagen ended e-Golf production about a week ago, but unlike many other discontinued EVs (electric vehicles), the e-Golf is being replaced with a newer EV in the same class: the ID.3.
Editor’s note: I encouraged a friend to write his first impressions driving his son’s new Volkswagen e-Golf recently in California. At home in Florida he drives a non-electric car. He seems to have his eye on an electric vehicle now. A thank-you to Frank Semmens for taking the time to write up his original review.
The German plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market continues on the right track in July, with 9,233 registrations. Fully electric vehicles (BEVs) were up 136% year over year (YoY), while plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs) keep stuttering (+6% in July, bringing year-to-date numbers out of the red).
When the 8th generation Volksagen Golf appears later this year, the current e-Golf will no longer be available in America. The next electric Volkswagen will be the 2021 ID Crozz.
Volkswagen will begin increasing the production capacity of the e-Golf at its facilities in Europe starting in March 2018, company spokespersons recently revealed. The plan is reportedly for the daily production capacity to be increased from 35 to 70 cars a day. Assuming that’s an average with no days off, that’s 25,550 Volkswagen e-Golfs per year — a bit more than the planned weekly production of the Tesla Model 3.
In the UK, the all-electric car that looks almost identical to a regular Volkswagen Golf is doing well. The e-Golf is considered to be the electrified “centerpiece” of the German manufacturer’s choices. The e-Golf was originally presented in 2014. VW reports that in its latest guise, the zero-emission e-Golf has new battery technology. Gas2 earlier reported that the 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf goes 50% further on a single battery charge. The new e-Golf also has a host of connectivity features both in the car and in the customer’s hand via the ubiquitous smartphone — everything from warming or cooling the EV remotely to interesting security features. The price also makes the electrified VW a valuable find.
Following the beginning of orders in Germany, the new 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf has been granted its official US EPA range rating — 125 miles per full charge. That figure represents a roughly 50% increase on the range of previous model years.
The new, refreshed Volkswagen e-Golf is now available for order in Germany, according to a press release from the company. The model features a new 35.8 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack (upgraded from the previous 24.2 kWh battery pack), allowing for a range rating of 300 kilometers from the NEDC — the “practical range” according to Volkswagen is closer to 200 kilometers.
Following the recent introduction of a new Golf, Volkswagen is apparently showcasing its new e-Golf at the ongoing Los Angeles Auto Show this week. There are no real surprises from the look of it — more of the same (which some people will appreciate I guess), just with a somewhat bigger battery pack. The bigger battery pack allows for an improved but still limited (compared to the competition) range.
Originally published on EV Obsession. The 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf will be getting a notable boost to its range, as compared to earlier model years, according to recent reports. Owing to improved battery technology, the new model year will reportedly possess a single-charge range roughly 30% larger than earlier models — … [continued]
