The VW e-Golf will go on sale in "selected" U.S. market in late 2014. No pricing has been announced.
Volkswagen’s first battery-electric vehicle to enter the U.S. market will make its debut at the upcoming L.A. Auto Show, an event expected to showcase a wide range of zero-emissions vehicles.
After a slow start, the German maker has been making an aggressive push into battery technology with hybrids, plug-ins and full battery-electric vehicles. VW promises that the e-Golf will boast one of the fastest recharge times in the industry.
The Volkswagen e-Golf is set to go on sale during the fourth quarter of 2014 in “select states” – which will likely mean California and other states with similar zero-emissions mandates. The new model will be powered by a 24.7 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack paired with a 115-horsepower motor capable of launching the car from 0 to 60 in 10.4 seconds, with a top speed rated at 87 mph.
The e-Golf is expected to deliver between 70 and 90 miles on a charge, though final EPA numbers aren’t yet available. But to counter potential “range anxiety,” the German maker will offer a new Roadside Assistance Plan in which it says, “if the customer runs out of charge and is within 100 miles of their home, Volkswagen…will deliver the car to a nearby and convenient source for charging and will even pay for the customer to take a taxi home or to work if they decide not to travel with the car. The plan covers unlimited events.”
The 7.2 kilowatt charger will handle as much as twice the current of many other current EV charging systems and can reduce recharging time on a 220-volt circuit to less than four hours, though using 120-volt current would raise that to 20 hours. On the other hand, one of the new 440-volt DC quick-charger stations can give the e-Golf an 80% recharge in around 30 minutes, VW claims.
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The vehicle’s batteries will account for a significant portion of the VW e-Golf’s mass, 701 pounds out of a total curb weight of 3090 pounds. The maker has taken a number of steps to reduce overall mass, however, and has also adopted such features as full LED lighting to minimize battery drain.
To increase the fun-to-drive factor, VW says it will offer three driver-selectable regenerative braking modes, as well as three driving profiles that can increase range.
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Weight is only one of many factors that can influence range. VW designers also attacked wind resistance with a number of aerodynamic tweaks unique to the e-Golf, including radiator shutters, new underbody panels, a rear spoiler and air vanes around the C-pillars.
Safety features will include the new Automatic Post-Collision Braking System designed to slow the vehicle after an accident to prevent a secondary collision.
The e-Golf is one of several advanced battery vehicles VW is planning to bring to market. The maker will also launch a battery version of its Up! microcar, as well as the new plug-in diesel hybrid XL1, which will deliver fuel economy in excess of 200 mpg. Neither of those models are expected to make it to the U.S. market, however.
I know that all major car makers are under extreme duress because of the outrageous and impossible to meet 54.5 mpg CAFE requirement that Obama and the EPA pulled from their orifice…but how many people want to get stuck on the roadway some place and then wait for a tow truck and taxi to show up to mitigate a problem that would never occur if they owned a VW clean Diesel? It makes no sense to push these impractical EVs except to dumb Obama and the EPA.
Unfortunately the auto makers have no choice as they will pay high fines on all vehicles sold if they are unable to meet the absurd 54.5 mpg CAFE. The 54.5 mpg CAFE requirement is another example of bad government forced on the populace, without their approval.
Hi, Jorge,
As any TDB reader has probably deduced, I can best be described as a “skeptical proponent” of battery power. I do NOT disagree that the current state of the technology makes it questionable for more than niche products — and, to be clear, I have several friends who have had nothing but overwhelmingly positive experiences with vehicles ranging from Leaf to i-MiEv to Fiat 500e. I have also experienced firsthand the issues created by limited range.
That said, I think that the increasingly rapid pace of public charger availability, etc., will make the technology more appealing, albeit still to a niche.
But the real question will be one of improving batteries: particularly, stretching range and lowering cost. The satisfaction with the 200-300 miles of range with the Model S is enormous among owners from data I have seen. (My first friend to acquire one is nearby and I am waiting for his results over a Michigan winter.)
Intriguingly, a close friend with a major manufacturer with a current EV confided in me — completely off-record in terms of the who/what — that they will soon offer a new battery pack boosting their under-100 mile BEV’s range to “more than 150 miles.” I have long argued that 150 miles is the minimum to push the technology more mainstream.
Am I ready to be so negative as you? Certainly, I have limited faith in the current generation of EVs, but if what I have been picking up from the industry proves true, Gen-2 and even -3 tech due by or soon after decade’s end could change the game.
I recall a comment made to me a decade back by a senior Detroit executive who was a frequent critic of Washington regulators. We had a dinner one night and over a drink he asked if I’d go off record. I will still honor that. He said, “The reality is, government regulations help us, too.” I asked him to explain and he noted that in many cases, automakers have technology they know they should/could bring to market but that while consumers might want it, they won’t necessarily pay for it…safety, emissions and mileage tech was what he was talking about. “If my competitors have to come up with the same technology it makes it easier for me,” he continued.
I’ve been covering this business since 1979 and I can recall the endless arguments against every new reg: every tougher CAFE rule or NHTSA crash standard. They’ve all been met…and, more importantly, though there are some questionable rules buried in that SHOULD be revised, the public has generally benefited — see declining death toll — and now overwhelmingly supports the trend. Indeed, much of the latest drive for better mileage, crash standards, etc., is now driven by the public and by the insurance industry — see the new IIHS small overlap crash test that every maker is racing to meet.
Is 54.5 justified? Of course, you know, too, that with credits the real number is almost 10 mpg less on the Munroney sticker. We may not get there, but the standard is pushing some real innovations. I recall in 2005 being told there simply were no new technologies to get us any further. Compare ’14 mileage to ’05, even as performance and reliability increase while emissions dip.
Long rant but I think you may be taking a much harsher stance than justified.
Paul A. Eisenstein
Publisher, TheDetroitBureau.com
My issue with the 54.5 mpg figure is that Obama and the EPA pulled this number out of their orifice. There is no science or technical considerations involved – just as with the former 55 mph speed limit in America. Is our government so incompetent as to ignore all technical resources and independent unbias opinions and all-knowingly just pull a 54.5 mpg figure outta their orifice? YES unfortunately they are. And what exactly is this 54.5 mpg CAFE requirement going to achieve, again?
Right… SOS, DD. More government ignorance just like promoting EVs which for 99% of the world are impractical. Yes some day there will be more charging stations and better batteries and these EVs will still be impractical for 98% of the world. BTW, who’s going to deal with the toxic mess left over from these EVs????
The 54.5 mpg CAFE deal is akin to the Obama health care debacle where everything is completely FUBAR’ed because the Feds are totally clueless but insist on making outrageous demands on the populace. The health care website is a perfect example of the Feds arrogance and incompetence.
If 54.5 mpg is the right figure how did Obama and the EPA reach this figure? If Obama care is the solution then why did Congress and Obama exclude themselves from Obama care but make it mandatory for the populace? Both situations are a disgrace and consumers are the ones who pay for all of these hare brained antics by irresponsible politicians. The politicians aren’t the ones paying $5,000-$10,000 more for the cost of a new auto with expensive tech to try and meet the 54.5 mpg CAFE requirement. These politicians aren’t the one losing their health care completely or being forced to accept less coverage. They are on the Platinum health care plan for eternity – all paid by tax payers forced to accept the crumbs that the politicians force on them.