VW e-Golf

[Nubo]

Puts me in mind of an old ad....

 

[RonDawg]

I don't see a single thing about it that is better than a Leaf.

Weight for one thing. It's a couple of hundred pounds lighter than the Leaf, for about the same size inside and out.

There's also the 7.2 kW on board charger, vs. 6.6 kW max on the Leaf (and if you opted for the cheapest one, you're still stuck with 3.8 kW).

Hopefully it will have the same driving characteristics as other VW Golfs I've driven...meaning it will be a bit more fun to drive than the Leaf, and not have such a dead feel to the steering.

I hope Audi can do much better than VW when they enter the electric market.

You do realize that Audi is merely a higher tier in the VW Group? And they've already said what their contribution to the EV world will be...the Audi A3 eTron, a plug-in hybrid. VW has already announced their version of that car, the Golf GTE, which probably will not be sold here as it will be essentially a cheaper version of that car.

 

[GRA]

I think the determining factor on whether the air cooling is really adequate will be what capacity warranty VW puts on the battery. It will have to at least match BMW and M-B for people to believe that air cooling is adequate in hot climates. Otherwise it's just Nissan redux.

 

[nosuchthing]

Sorry, folks. Big yawn from me on 24 kW battery. That's so 4 years old.

 

[jstack6]

I saw 2 of the e-GOLFs testing in the Phoenix area a month ago. I talked with the 2 drivers but they didn't want to give much information, or maybe didn't know too much. They looked ok but I'd rather buy USA made LEAF or FOCUS until the Tesla,GEN III is available.

I also saw 2 MB B class electrics testing. Looks ok but I could not get any details since the drivers spoke mostly German and I couldn't connect with them to well.

Both vehicles were ok but nothing special. I'm still waiting to see and test drive a BMW i3. They are at least super light weight and have very very efficient air cond and heating similar to a LEAF. Those are both important keys.

 

[TomT]

I had an i3 for a day and was unimpressed. And the range is no better than a current leaf. At the asking price, I see little to recommend it...

The MB uses a reverse cycle HVAC just like the current Leaf which means that it will be much more efficient at heating than a 2011/2012 Leaf but slightly less efficient at cooling.
I assume the i3 is the same but I don't have any specific information on it... Like the Leaf, it appears that none of them use a proportional valve due to the cost, and which is necessary to bring the AC efficiency back to that of the early Leafs...

Both vehicles were ok but nothing special. I'm still waiting to see and test drive a BMW i3.

 

[mikeEmike]

They had to use the "Golf" name here? There's enough people already referring to EVs as glorified golf carts.

If you had one, you could reply that you own the "Cadillac" of "Golf Carts" ...

It's funny that this term should be reserved for the Tesla Model S, but somehow I would think that would come off more as a put-down than a compliment...at least the "Cadillac" part. :lol:

 

[EVDRIVER]

Regarding the "conversion" aspect probably the only necessary difference between an ICE and an EV is the floor stamping. The rest of the parts can be common.

Even though it's air cooled, that's still actually cooled, right? Unlike the Leaf that's got nothing.

So just a minor improvement over Leaf 1.0 - on a time line nearly five years later, that isn't exactly setting the industry on fire.

Looks like we're going to be awash in 70 mile EVs from every Tom, Dick and Harry, to meet compliance requirements and collect credits.

Not really, a production EV is optimized for drag, weight and packaging. There are other small changes in the overall design and spec as well, it is not simply floor stamping. This is a pure conversion.

 

[cwerdna]

Considering how many issues VW vehicles typically seem to have with their electronics I don't know that this is really their forte.

Exactly, VWs are notorious for electrical problems, besides having generally poor reliability. As someone else pointed out, seems a bit crazy to buy a VW where its only method of propulsion is something that isn't their forte. I'd pass.

 

[dm33]

Considering how many issues VW vehicles typically seem to have with their electronics I don't know that this is really their forte.

Exactly, VWs are notorious for electrical problems, besides having generally poor reliability. As someone else pointed out, seems a bit crazy to buy a VW where its only method of propulsion is something that isn't their forte. I'd pass.

FWIW, my car before the LEAF was a VW Golf TDI. It was very reliable. Only problem I ever had was a glow plug going bad. Had that car for 12 years.

 

[cwerdna]

Considering how many issues VW vehicles typically seem to have with their electronics I don't know that this is really their forte.

Exactly, VWs are notorious for electrical problems, besides having generally poor reliability. As someone else pointed out, seems a bit crazy to buy a VW where its only method of propulsion is something that isn't their forte. I'd pass.

FWIW, my car before the LEAF was a VW Golf TDI. It was very reliable. Only problem I ever had was a glow plug going bad. Had that car for 12 years.

I'd wager that you're in the minority. VW long-term reliability is traditionally not good (below average in Consumer Reports) on many/most of their vehicles w/some being horrific. Other sources seem to confirm the same thing.

Not surprisingly, I seem to know of way more people w/problem VWs than problem Toyota or Hondas (and their luxury brands), despite VW's small presence in the US (http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/06/2013-yearly-auto-sales-by-the-numbers/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false. I know of a few who claim to have little trouble w/their VW (but one of them later told me things really started to go after the warranty expired) so I suspect VW makes wildly inconsistent cars in terms of reliability, but overall averaging out to be worse than average.

 

[cwerdna]

For its initial launch in November, the e-Golf will be available only in California, Oregon, New York, Maryland, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Washington DC.

CARB-ZEV "coalition" states - California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The eight states combined account for 23 percent of U.S. vehicle sales, according to California’s Air Resources Board.

WHY New Jersey and Washington DC. ????

I thought NJ is a CARB emission state. I see references to CA, PZEV and AT-PZEV at http://www.nj.gov/dep/cleanvehicles/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. And, I stumbled across http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_New_Jersey" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Thanks to a German guy at "TMC", who posted a production video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhPtvOGR_vA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

BTW, I'm still surprised that we have at least 2 parallel e-Golf threads, one of which got locked and now unlocked. :?: Shouldn't they be merged?

 

[TimLee]

Thanks to a German guy at "TMC", who posted a production video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhPtvOGR_vA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Great video
Surprising VW would let this out.
A lot more manual hand assembly than the Chattanooga Passat.
Sure hope Chattanooga gets the Crossblue crossover and with the MQB architecture that they build an all electric, although PHEV is more likely first.
Wish we had this good an assembly video for the Smyrna LEAF.
There is a short one but I haven't found a detailed six minute long one.

Hate to see the 87 mph speed limit.
Kind of nice to go 95 mph once in a while on a long interstate downgrade in a 2011 LEAF
One heck of a golf cart

 

[TonyWilliams]

WHY New Jersey and Washington DC. ????

I thought NJ is a CARB emission state.

It is a CARB state... just not a CARB-ZEV state.

 

[UBUYGAS]

NJ is not a CARB-ZEV State?, NJ does not charge sales tax when someone buys a ZEV.

Do all states do that?

WHY New Jersey and Washington DC. ????

I thought NJ is a CARB emission state.

It is a CARB state... just not a CARB-ZEV state.

 

[cwerdna]

NJ is not a CARB-ZEV State?, NJ does not charge sales tax when someone buys a ZEV.

Do all states do that?

Nope. We in CA have to pay sales tax on ZEVs.

 

[UBUYGAS]

What are the credentials that makes a state a CARB-ZEV state?

 

[GetOffYourGas]

NJ is not a CARB-ZEV State?, NJ does not charge sales tax when someone buys a ZEV.

Do all states do that?

WHY New Jersey and Washington DC. ????

Even up here in NY we pay sales tax.

However, this may indirectly answer Tony's question. Perhaps VW is just bringing the car to markets that it sees as more accessible. If the e-Golf is exempt from sales tax in NJ, that could be a large savings for the buyer, creating more demand. Just a theory.

 

[TonyWilliams]

NJ is not a CARB-ZEV State?, NJ does not charge sales tax when someone buys a ZEV.

Do all states do that?

WHY New Jersey and Washington DC. ????

Even up here in NY we pay sales tax.

However, this may indirectly answer Tony's question. Perhaps VW is just bringing the car to markets that it sees as more accessible. If the e-Golf is exempt from sales tax in NJ, that could be a large savings for the buyer, creating more demand. Just a theory.

Washington state doesn't charge sales tax on EV's, and they have a HUGE amount of infrastructure (West Coast Electric Highway) and lots of rabid EV owners. Yet, VW isn't going there (Washington state, surprisingly, is not a ZEV state).

The states themselves decide to adopt CARB-ZEV, or not, and the states I listed are in fact the actual ZEV states. Neither New Jersey, nor Washington state, have ZEV status.

The rules are designed with a "traveling provision" for the credits, so that all the cars can currently be sold in California only (Toyota), or just California and Oregon (GM), and those companies can receive credit as if they were sold in every ZEV state.

In 2018, that will change so that car makers MUST sell the cars in all the ZEV states (so-called "section 177 states"). Needless to say, the auto makers will fight that tooth and nail, and did officially petition EPA on October 19, 2012 to keep the traveling provision.

Auto manufacturer's Oct 19, 2012 request to EPA for waiver from CARB:

http://www.globalautomakers.org/sites/default/files/document/attachments/JointCommentsCAWaiverRequest10-19-12.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"It is highly unlikely that the required infrastructure and the level of consumer demand for ZEVs will be sufficient by MY2018 in either California or in the individual Section 177 States to support the ZEV sales requirements mandated by CARB. EPA should therefore deny, at the present time, California’s waiver request for the ZEV program for these model years. During the interim, Global Automakers and the Alliance believe that California and EPA, with full auto industry participation, should implement a review for the ZEV program similar to the mid-term review process adopted under the federal GHG and CAFE regulations for MYs2017 through 2025."

That's a whole lot of gobbled igloo to say, "keep the traveling provision so we can only sell cars in California at the minimum number, and not sell any in the other CARB states."

CARB state coalition (all are CARB-ZEV states) - California, New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont, Maryland, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

The eight states combined account for 23 percent of U.S. vehicle sales, according to California’s Air Resources Board.

CARB states - Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, District of Columbia

 

[UBUYGAS]

In NJ I saved an additional $2280 by not paying sales tax.