VW e-Golf
 

I test drove the e-Golf today, and I really like the default coasting. It is a bit firmer ride than the Leaf, but still very smooth and it felt well planted. The only surprise is the heater makes noise - a rumble - and it vibrates somewhat. I like the direct heating defroster - the tiny wires run vertically and the are barely visible from the outside, and they are virtually invisible from the inside.

I didn't have time to figure out everything on the dash, and the navigation, etc.

The driver's seat goes back farther than I need it to; and with it in the position I am comfortable with, I can fit in the rear seat behind myself, so to speak. The footwells are deep, so even though the rear seat looks like it has less room than the Leaf, it is actually okay. It is a bit narrower, though, so a fifth person would have to be a child.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...psujeft7hq.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...pssnsebfpi.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...pssyebfcjw.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...psf9tqe5fw.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ps1qoduqn6.jpg

I wish battery tech would improve a tiny bit more so i could commute at least 40kms a day :D
Should go ask Freeport Cobalt (battery manufacturer) fo prices. My idea is to convert a light coupe/roadster to EV :D

I was impressed with the E-golf, but not with the $40k price tag. The dealer in Portland marked the car up $4k over MSRP and called it a "demand charge". They have sold 6 of them in the couple months they have been available.

The Golf has something like 6 modes of driving that affect economy. The salesman was saying that the most efficient mode was the braking mode, which applies heavy regen when the accelerator is released. He said that many people prefer this mode and don't even use the brake, instead using just a single pedal. That seems dangerous and inefficient to me. It's important to have the reflex of pushing the brake pedal for when sudden stopping is needed, and training yourself to rely on releasing the accelerator just seems like a bad idea. Furthermore, coasting down is more efficient than regen to a stop.

I ended up buying a 2012 Prius plug-in and have been averaging 70mpg. This will have to do until more EVs come out. I'm looking forward to the Chevy Bolt or whatever they are calling it, and really looking forward to Tesla's "affordable" EV. Something with 100 miles range would be perfect for me.

Another thread about the E-Golf here

Thanks Neil. What does the e-golf retail for?

Edit: Nevermind, thanks redpoint5. :)

NY is a compliance state and the MB dealer where I work is part of an auto empire that also has VW and Ford in the building next door. They have their 2 each chargers installed but haven't received any EV's yet. Lucky for them. MB shipped our allotment of 3 cars to us even though we had them on hold so now we are stuck paying for them. Two months in the middle of the showroom and not one person has even opened the door to look inside.

Any of these EV's will do at least 100km's on the worst day.

About $36K - the lease they are offering this month is $0 down, with first payment due at signing. 10k miles/year is $299 + sales tax (so about $318) and the 12K adds about $10-15, and the 15K miles a year is about $350.

The lease is a much less expensive way to drive it; like most EV's. I didn't ask what the buyout at the end is.

Driving with maximum regen is certainly not the most efficient. Most of the other EV's on the market do that, BMW in particular. That is one of the main reasons that I am considering the e-Golf; that and the direct heating windshield defroster.

The e-Golf has an EPA range rating of 83 miles / 133km and I think cold weather would not reduce this by as much as most other EV's. It has heated front seats. (I wish it also had a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats, like the Leaf has.) No EV - yet - is perfect. :)

Every time I drive in frost/fogging conditions, I wish I had a heated windshield. I hope this spreads to more cars (especially EVs) soon so I can buy one used.

My family and I (four of us) test drove the e-Golf today, and we fit in more comfortably than in the Leaf. The driver's seat extends back far enough for my 6'-6"+ son is very comfortable - and I can fit in the back seat behind him. The steering wheel is tilt & telescope, which also helps.

I really like the default coasting. You bump the shifter to the left (towards you) to add 3 increasing levels of regen, and then bump it to the right to decrease it. Or you can pull it back to go straight to full regen B mode. The e-Golf has a tiny bit of creep programmed in, and the accelerator is very linear. The brakes are smoother than the Leaf (which can be "grabby") and the ride is similarly firm, but a bit more controlled.

Most importantly, my spouse really likes the e-Golf, too. I may be able to retire my Scion xA and drive the e-Golf, instead. :)

I put in 4 gallons (of 93 octane, because they were out of 87 and 89 ...) yesterday - and maybe that will be the last gasoline I ever buy? One can only hope!

I've started taking steps towards moving EV by adding a 50 amp 240v outlet in the garage. You brought up an interesting idea to me; personal peak oil.

I would guess that my transportation related oil consumption peaked somewhere back in 2005. I put a lot of miles on the diesel truck back then, mostly because driving a truck with a girlfriend was fun.

I'll be burning fuel for the foreseeable future for road trips and other long excursions. There is no good way to haul 4-wheelers into the woods without burning oil.