VW e-Golf

[ME_Andy]

Once you go electric, you don't go back. Am I right, Neil and redpoint? That must be a really nice feeling to, perhaps, have bought your last gas ever.

[NeilBlanchard]

Yes, driving an EV is great, and you will wonder why you didn't do it earlier.

[NeilBlanchard]

We signed a lease on a 2015 VW e-Golf today! I'll be driving it, primarily and you can look for a new energy log on 'Number 7' - it is the seventh EV being driven by my family.

[Daox]

Woo, congrats Neil.

[NeilBlanchard]

I hope to pick it up today.

Edit: I did pick it up, but I got the flu, so I have not driven it except home from the dealer.

[NeilBlanchard]

I have a couple of things that I would change with the e-Golf:

It has no visible way to tell from outside the car when it is done charging. The Leaf has three blue lights at the base of the windshield, that do this. There is an app for your phone to do this, and more - but it has a 6 month trial period, and after that you pay a fee. No thanks.

You have to unlock the car in order to remove the charging cord. Again, the Leaf has this as an option, while the e-Golf has it all the time.

The HVAC system resets to Auto / 72F every time. So, you have to shut it off, or change it to where you want it. I would much prefer that it stayed where it was left when you shut it off.

It doesn't have a tradition trip odometer, but rather it has several different automatic trip data screens on the center console touch screen.

I post some better pictures. The wheels are particularly sleek, as there is a very flat transition from the tire to the wheel.

The LED lights are very good - every single light on the car is LED.

It has got front and back proximity sensors that flash graphics on the touch screen.

[redpoint5]

The upside of modern cars is the ability to reflash the programming. Some of your complaints might be addressed in later builds of the software. The car is new, so it's still being tweaked.

[NeilBlanchard]

I posted my first energy log for Number 7, my e-Golf, this morning. I lost the first charge data, because when you unlock the car with the fob, in order to release the charging plug lock, it "restarts" the charge, and my JuiceBox loses the charge total. (I still have not gotten the JB wireless connected to my network, so I don't have data logging, which is frustrating. I now have a programming cable for the unit, but hey - it is been the snowiest winter ever, here!)

I am retiring my Scion xA and will be driving Number 7 from now on.

Coincidentally, the factory Cd of the e-Golf is 0.27, which is quite similar to what I had estimated my modded xA was. So, I am not losing much, if anything in the aero department. And I am increasing my mileage by about 2.5X.

[NeilBlanchard]

I have posted a couple of more charges for Number 7, now. And I took a picture the other day, when it was on the lift at the dealer:



They need to complete the belly pan all the way to the back! I'll take some better pictures soon of the rest of the car ...

[NeilBlanchard]

VW will be selling a "Limited Edition" edition that will cost $2,000 less, and leased for $70/month less.

2015 Volkswagen e-Golf Electric Car Gets Less Expensive Trim Level

Changes compared with the SEL Premium models include 16-inch steel wheels in place of aluminum alloys, halogen instead of LED headlights, cloth in place of leatherette seating surfaces, and deletion of the heat-pump system. Equipment and features that remain unchanged from the SEL Premium model include:- DC Fast Charging with the Combined Charging System (CCS) that allows up to 80 percent battery charge in 30 minutes- Standard 7.2kW onboard charger- Versatile cargo area, with 22.8 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats; 52.7 cubic feet with seats folded
- Three driving profiles designed to preserve energy ("Normal", "Eco", and "Eco+") and three driver-selectable regeneration modes
- KESSY® keyless access with push-button start
- Navigation system
- LED Daytime Running Lights
- Climatronic® automatic dual-zone climate control system
- Electronic parking brake
- Electrically heated windshield
- Automatic headlights and wipers
- Rearview camera
- Front and rear Park Distance Control

If you lease the e-Golf, and then buy it at the end of the lease, the price on the current car is ~$27,000. And you don't have to qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit - you essentially get it through the lease price. So, the Limited Edition will be significantly lower cost.

They should have dropped the navigation system, dual zone HVAC, parking sensors, rain sensing wipers. The Car-Net option and Bluetooth music streaming are also not required. I would keep the heat pump and LED lights, though.

The biggest advantage of the alloy wheels is their lower aero drag. If they put narrower tires on (stock with alloys is 205), then the weight is probably a toss up.

The most important features of the e-Golf are kept: coasting with driver controllable regen, and the direct heated windshield defroster.