Official VW e-Golf thread - $29,815

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johnqh said:
Just leased a egolf LE for 2500 drive-off and 192/m including tax.
Click to expand...

What was your mileage allotment?

Here in the LA area, VW of Santa Monica and Pacific VW of Torrance (both part of the same auto group) are advertising a $199/month lease special for the SEL, but you only get 7500 miles per year, and each additional mile is 20 cents. It's still a better deal than VWoA's official $299 lease deal for the SEL even when you factor in the additional miles allowed under the VWoA deal.

http://www.volkswagensantamonica.com/new-vw-egolf-electric-car-special-lease-sales-discount-offers-near-los-angeles
 
What was your mileage allotment?
Click to expand...

7500.

The best SEL deal I found has a total cost (drive-off + monthlies + lease return) just north of $11K. My LE is under $9600. The Santa Monica quote has the total cost over $12K (rough calculation). All of these numbers are before the $2500 CA rebate.

Keep in mind, drive-off is not down payment. It also includes the first months' lease, destination fee, DMV fee. electric filing, tax on the down payment and the $7500 rebate. My drive-off is $2500, but the down payment portion is only about $1100
 
Although I still have a few months left on the Leaf lease, I ended up picking up an eGolf SEL myself. I've only had the car a few days and I only have put 100 miles on it, but these are my thoughts so far:

Advantage eGolf
  • Styling (personal taste): not exciting, but not polarizing either. The wheels unique to the electric version, the lack of a tailpipe, and some discreet badging are the only outward signs that this is not a fossil-fuel powered Golf.
  • Battery: although the eGolf supposedly has the same size battery as the Leaf, in my short time with it it seems to go further on that same size. My average so far is 4.6 miles/kWH; I have to stay off the freeway to get that kind of economy with the Leaf. I also get more regen but my Leaf does not have "B" mode.
  • Stereo: much better sounding than the standard Leaf stereo. I don't know how it compares with the Bose version.
  • Driving dynamics: while the steering is not as communicative as that of my Audi, or a rental Golf TDI I had in Europe a few years ago, it's MUCH better than the Leaf's. Ride is a bit harsher than the Leaf's though, but not as bone-jarring as my Audi A3 Premium.
  • Outward visibility: even though it has a lower roofline, I can see out of the Golf better, especially out the right rear.
  • LIghting: Low beam is a bit better than the Leaf's, and MUCH better on high beam. Note this is for the SEL which has all-LED lighting; I don't know about the LE which uses halogen headlight bulbs for both low and high beam.
  • Parking sensors: IMHO far more useful than a backup camera. Standard on all eGolfs, and the sensors are on the front bumper as well.
  • Cargo cover is standard on all eGolfs. On Leaf S and (I think SV) it's optional. The one on the eGolf feels more substantial than the "papier-mache" one of the Leaf. eGolf also has rear-seat reading lamps, and those can be turned on remotely from the front seat.

Advantage Leaf
  • Ergonomics: the higher roofline and higher seating position of the Leaf makes it easier to get in and out of. The center armrest of the eGolf is a bit too low for my liking and also does not match the height of the door armrests; the one on the Leaf was the perfect height and was the same height as that of the doors.
  • Placement of charging port: this may not be an issue for some, but the Golf's charging port being placed where the fuel filler goes on the ICE versions is a PITA. I either have to back the car into my garage (which presents other inconveniences), or I have to unwind all of the EVSE cord. The nose-mounted charging port of the Leaf is so much more convenient IMHO. Also it's a PITA to have to use the keyfob to unlock the charging handle on the eGolf, which it ALWAYS does. I wish it could either be unlocked from a button inside the car, or better yet make the feature user-enabled.
  • Leaf does not require a special cable for iPod/iPhone connectivity, though the eGolf did come with it. That cable is also the old-style 30 pin so if you have any Apple iDevice newer than an iPhone 4S you will need to use a 30 pin to Lightning adapter; I have not yet tried using one to see how well it works. 2016 eGolfs are supposed to come with normal USB ports plus CarPlay/Android Auto capability.
  • While the standard Leaf stereo does not sound as good as that of the eGolf, it is more intuitive to use, especially via the steering wheel controls.
  • Homelink comes with the Leaf SL, but is not available on any eGolf (as of MY 2015).

Tossup:
  • Leaf's available CHAdeMO makes it easier to find a QC station. But CCS is a standard feature on all eGolfs sold here.
  • Overall cargo capacity: the Leaf's trunk is MUCH deeper (vertical dimension) than that of the eGolf. But, the eGolf has a naturally flat-ish cargo space when the seats are down, whereas with the Leaf you have to buy the factory cargo dividers (or make your own false floor) in order to get a flat load floor.
  • Golf's climate control is easier to operate without taking your eyes off the road, but when you can do so, the Leaf's is easier to read as the display is higher up on the dash and in a larger font.
  • A/C on both cars appears to cool equally well, I got to test that on Saturday with our rather humid (for SoCal) weather. Leaf interior was slightly more comfortable as it has the beige cloth seats vs. the black leatherette of my eGolf. eGolf does have rear-seat vents which is not a feature at all on the Leaf.
  • I prefer the Golf's analog gauges to the Leaf's digital ones, but on the eGolf some readouts (like the trip odometer, annoyingly) require you access a rather complex menu system.
  • Both don't have active TMS. I wonder if there's anything like LeafSpy for the eGolf?
 
Great comparison RonDawg!

I suspect that if you compares it to a '15 LEAF the range would be seem very similar, even when comparing to a "new" 11-12 LEAF.
 
Thanks for the run-down! I think these two cars go well head-to-head with each other, and the competition should lead to better second-gen products.

I have to laugh when I read about others' experience with the eGolf's charge port location. I too think it's the worst possible place for the charge door. But most people complain about having to back into their garage. I have always backed into my garage, and have placed my EVSE by the driver's side door. The eGolf would require me to nose-in to my garage which I would find just as annoying as you find backing into yours!
 
Awesome comparison!!!

I concur that both models are very competitive to each other. So if Nissan wants to stay a leader, they need to do a Gen 2 with much better range. These next few years are going to be really exciting!

Unless I have to replace my Leaf, I plan to keep it long term. When I plan to go to market, I will want to add a PIH or an EV with much longer range as my commute now is about 80 miles one way. Having 2 cars with sharply limited range won't work. But an EV with 120+ mile range would be a viable replacement for my ICE.
 
Considering that both the EV version and the MQB-platform itself of the Mk VII Golf didn't come to the US until 2015, it may be a while before we see a Gen2.
 
I took a look at one here in CT - two issues for me:

1. Lack of CHAdeMO a major downer - we have free L3 charging sponsored by the state at highway rest stops.
2. The local dealer does not give me warm fuzzies about their ability to service the eGolf. The salesperson did not know much about it - I was teaching him.

My Nissan dealer is totally on-board with the Leaf and their support / commitment first rate, so that's important to me.
 
I do want to make a couple of corrections/additions to my earlier comparison, after someone who also has one pointed them out to me:

  • There is a version of the VW iPod/iPhone cable with a Lightning connector instead of 30 pin. My salesman should have offered swapping it out for me (and he knew I had an iPhone as he demonstrated the Bluetooth connectivity).
  • The center armrest is height-adjustable by slowly pulling up on it as if you are opening it (it is also the lid for the cubby below, like on the Leaf) until it is at the desired height. You have to pull it up all the way in order to close it again. It also slides forward, but note that depending on how much you do that, the rear-most cupholder gets blocked.
  • eGolf has dual-zone climate control, vs. the single-zone unit of the Leaf
  • I also remembered that the "unique wheels" are only for the top-trim SEL. The LE uses the same steelies and hubcaps as the base model ICE Golf.
 
DNAinaGoodWay said:
Is there a Gen 2 eGolf in the works? Or even a 30 kWh version? Or will they have to cut prices soon to keep competitive?
Click to expand...

Here's a presentation I find interesting:
http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/info_center/en/talks_and_presentations/2014/07/FM_04_07_14.bin.html/binarystorageitem/file/06_2014-07-04+Presentation+Barclays+London+Steiger+TOP+COPY.pdf

So VW is planning to just put the latest/greatest batteries into the eGolf, so in theory the range should improve within a generation. They have a clear roadmap up to a 35kWh battery (see slide 18), although they don't give any time frame. It's conceivable that they could bring such a battery to market in the next year or two.
 
Cool. Being able to ramp up range within the same basic model as the model years progress would give them tremendous flexibility to stay competitive. Also by doing a conversion of an ICE model that is already done for the mass market should allow them to compete with much less initial investment and re-investment each time they need to up the range.

Like the hybrids that first came out with very distinctive designs, as the market grew, there is a lot to be said for designs that appeal to the mass market. And that is exactly what the ICE models are. So using the same design makes tremendous sense.

This space is going to get really exciting in the next couple years.
 
DarthPuppy said:
Also by doing a conversion of an ICE model that is already done for the mass market should allow them to compete with much less initial investment and re-investment each time they need to up the range.
Click to expand...

The MQB platform on which the Golf Mk VII (and the new generation Audi A3) was designed from the start to host a variety of powertrains including all-electric.
 
Designing from the start for different powertrains sounds pretty efficient to me. So far, I'm impressed with the result.
 
DarthPuppy said:
Designing from the start for different powertrains sounds pretty efficient to me. So far, I'm impressed with the result.
Click to expand...
Definitely the way to go to keep costs as well as pax/cargo area infringement down. If Ford had been able to do this with the Fusion and C-Max Energis, they'd be selling far better than they are, because the biggest turnoff for most people is the lack of cargo space. Even so, the Fusion is quite common around here, running just slightly behind the Model S in frequency in my informal local rush hour counts - the C-Max is a bit behind. They had an excuse for the first generation with an unknown sales potential, but they have to take this approach for the next generation (or else go the dedicated platform route) for the cars to be serious competitors.
 
For 2016, e-Golf will be priced on par with the base Leaf model. Leaf will get some competition if this is sold all over the country.

But without CHAdeMO they will always suffer - apart from apathetic dealers and actual street price.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/05/us-volkswagen-usa-electric-idUSKCN0QA2L920150805?virtualBrandChannel=11563
 
I think "suffer" is a bit extreme. "Disadvantage" is a better term. I know there are far more CCS chargers in the greater LA area today than there were CHAdeMO back when I first got my Leaf 30 months ago, so that disadvantage is becoming less and less.

I am curious as to what VWoA is going to take out of the existing LE (which the article says will be discontinued) in order to get the price below that of the Leaf S. My bet is CCS is going to be one of those deleted features, which would then render this argument moot.
 
There are exactly the same number of CCS and CHAdeMO quick chargers within 150 miles of where I live - one of each. And they happen to be at the same location (a dual-standard unit in Ithaca, NY). I think VW's disadvantage is overstated for the vast majority of the country.
 
I expect the BEV price war to continue, as long as gas stays cheap.

More details here:

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/08/06/2016-vw-e-golf-se-pricing/

(VW prees release)...Lowering the cost of entry to e-mobility, the 2016 e-Golf SE offers most of the features of the SEL Premium model. A 3.6 kW onboard charger is standard, but the DC Fast Charging Package (late availability) adds the 7.2 kW onboard charger with DC Fast Charging...
Click to expand...
I wish BEV manufacturer's wouldn't couple larger chargers with DC ports in a package.

I expect many BEV buyers in areas with DC availability, wouldn't want more than a ~3.6 kW charger, if given the option just to buy the DC port.
 

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