Test Drive: VW e-Golf quick, smooth but lacks range
Volkswagen is selling its first electric car in the U.S., the 2015 e-Golf. Regrettably, it's limited to the 10 so-called clean-air states, plus the District of Columbia, which require automakers to sell a block of vehicles with "zero local emissions," meaning nothing considered odious issues from the vehicle.
We say "so-called" because the juice to recharge the electric car's batteries might come from a coal-burning utility power plant, a nuclear plant or one fueled with natural gas — cleaner but not completely benign.
If you have a hydroelectric plant handy, OK, pretty darn clean all-around.
And we say "regrettably" because a car that combines fun and usefulness as well as the e-Golf shouldn't be denied to people in the other 40 states.
But typically automakers lose money on these cars and sell them only where required — "quota cars," they're called.
The hope is that with experience companies will learn how to make them profitable at an affordable price, and then the rest of the U.S. can make its own decisions about whether they make sense.
VW, already selling the most high-mileage diesel cars in the U.S., pledges to be the leader in "e mobility" in a few years. The automaker said at the Los Angeles Auto Show last month that it now has developed a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle that can use VW's new MQB platform and run down the same assembly line as the Golf.
"All we have to do is throw the switch" to begin production, says U.S. CEO Michael Horn. And wait for there to be enough hydrogen fueling stations to make it worth doing, of course.
E-Golf's electric motor is rated a strong 199 pounds-feet of torque. That's the low-speed scoot that makes cars pleasant, satisfying and safe in the slow-poke driving our poorly planned traffic patterns impose.
Horsepower — of which e-Golf has but a modest 115 — is most useful at higher speed, such as when merging and passing.
Americans tend to buy horsepower ratings, but drive torque.
Test Drive loves the instant zip an electric usually provides, driving battery cars pretty close to flat out whenever safely possible. It ruins the range, of course, but it is amazing fun up to about 40 mph while the electric produces big, fat power like a turbocharged gasoline engine in its sweet spot.
The e-Golf is quiet. Some electrics whine and make unexpected noises, and we appreciate that the VW doesn't.
In VW's sporting fashion, the electric steers nicely, handles corners with aplomb, and invites you to drive with vigor.
We found the seats especially comfortable, and the back seat has good leg and knee room for the compact size of the Golf.
Cargo space is likewise generous for a compact, made more useful because it's a hatchback.
We do think there is some dumb stuff that should give you pause:
Small dashboard screen. These are the days of huge ones, 8 inches or so, and the Golf is down around 5 inches. Makes it look and feel old, despite the fact it's the newest thing VW sells. Works OK as a touch-screen, but takes a moment more concentration to spot and touch the controls on such a small screen.
No USB. A major priority for new-car buyers, according to some studies, but VW is blind to that. You get an Apple cord with an old wide plug and a Lightning adapter, but nothing for Android and Windows folks. Fortunately, VW's streaming works pretty well so it's easy enough to use your other devices, as long as you don't need to maximize their abilities or charge them via USB because you forgot that 12-volt charger.
Silly inside door handle. When's the last time you pinched a thumb or finger on a poorly designed car door handle? For us it was a couple days ago, in the Golf. No need for that.
Range. As on most electrics, it's far less than advertised, especially in cold weather at night, when the power-sapping heater and headlights are on.
The electric Golf fits into what's become a separate Golf sub-brand because of the variety of models — much as BMW's 3 Series is a marque to itself. VW even renamed the Jetta SportWagen to the Golf SportWagen in the U.S. in a nod to the wagon's actual roots, and its identity in other markets.
Golf is VW's best seller worldwide, but only so-so in the U.S. We'd wager the e-Golf could help change that if it were a 50-state car.
ABOUT THE 2015 VW E-GOLF
:
•What?
Battery-power version of VW's redesigned Golf subcompact front-drive hatchback. Electric introduced as a 2015; most Golfs launched as 2014s.
•When?
On sale since November in California and nine other states, plus the District of Columbia, that require a percentage of "zero local emissions" cars — meaning the car can't emit pollutants, regardless of how dirty the power plant is that supplies the plug-in electricity.
•How much?
Offered only as well-equipped SEL Premium at $36,265.
•What makes it go?
Electric motor rated 115 horsepower, 199 pounds-feet of torque, mated to single-speed transmission.
•How big?
Same as any VW Golf. Bigger than a Honda Fit, smaller than a Civic. Weighs a hefty 3,391 lbs. — 701 lbs. of that being the lithium-ion battery pack.
Passenger space, 93.5 cu. ft. Cargo space: 22.8 cu.ft. behind back seat, 52.7 cu.ft. with seat folded. Turning circle diameter, 35.8 ft.
•How thirsty?
Rated 126 mpg-equivalent in city driving, 105 mpg-e highway, 116 mpg-e combined. Government-rated range of 83 miles on a charge, VW says 70 to 90 miles in "real-world" driving. Selectable "Eco" mode cuts power for more range, but isn't rated separately.
Test car range in "Normal" (full-power) mode with normal use of heater and headlights was about half the government rating, computing to 40 miles on a charge in heavy-foot, go-for-it suburban use. Sounds bad, but we've found that's more-or-less normal for electrics driven for maximum fun and using the electricity-draining accessories.
Recharge: Four hours on 220-240 volt outlet; 20 hours on regular household outlet. Charger supplied with the car.
•Overall:
Excellent blend of day-to-day utility, quick performance, sporty steering and handling, but needs longer range — as nearly all electrics do.
WHAT STANDS OUT:
•Power: Terrific low-speed scoot.
•Comfort: Good as VW Golf in general, which is quite good.
•Range: Standard electric-car Achilles' heel, unless you can afford the top-drawer Tesla.
What? Battery-power version of VW's redesigned Golf subcompact front-drive hatchback. Electric introduced as a 2015; most Golfs launched as 2014s.