Volkswagen e-Golf Goes On Sale (2014)

The Volkswagen e-Golf goes on sale today priced from £25,845 on the road including the £5,000 Government grant. You can place your order at one of twenty-four specialist EV Volkswagen Dealers across the UK, the first cars are set to delivered towards the end of June.

Volkswagen e-Golf Power

The e-Golf is powered by an AC electric motor (85 kW / 115 PS, and 270 Nm) with no tailpipe emissions. Acceleration from 0-62 mph takes 10.4 seconds which compares favourably to the diesel Bluemotion Golf’s 10.5 seconds. The top speed is 87 mph with a range of around 118 miles per charge, depending on driving style, charge level and ambient conditions. It is possible to opt for a heat pump which in the winter months can take heat from the air and vehicle’s drive systems to increase the range by around 20 per cent.

In addition to the standard driving mode, there are two economy modes, ‘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.

Volkswagen e-Golf Charging

The e-Golf can be re-charged via a normal domestic socket which takes around 13 hours, if you opt for a dedicated Wallbox charging socket a 3.6 kW supply can recharge a flat battery in eight hours. Currently British Gas will install the Wallbox charger for free and you can opt for a green electricity tariff through Ecotricity. The 26.5 kWh lithium-ion battery is integrated into the Golf’s floor so that the boot remains useable. A DC charging point as found in many major cities can recharge the battery (at levels of up to 40 kW) to 80 per cent capacity in just 35 minutes.

Volkswagen e-Golf Trim

The e-Golf is based on the trim of the SE model and is only available as a five-door model - in addition to the SE core spec, you gain 2Zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, e-specific ‘Tilleves’ alloy wheels and Discover Pro satellite navigation, with an eight-inch colour touchscreen.  For the e-Golf the Discover Pro system includes added functionality including a range display, and the option to pre-programme the vehicle’s heating or cooling systems.  For smartphone users (Android or iOS), the Volkswagen ‘Car-Net’ app enables many vehicle functions to be controlled remotely, including charging, heating or cooling and more.  Three years’ subscription to Car Net is included as standard.