VW e-Golf

[TonyWilliams]

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

Oregon is a CARB-ZEV state, and they don't charge sales tax on anything. Washington state is CARB, but not CARB-ZEV, and also has an EV sales tax exemption.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

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).

Just to play Devil's Advocate here (and to take a page out of your playbook), I will point out that Washington's Quick Charge infrastructure is CHAdeMO whereas VW will be using SAE CCS. Yes, L2 J1772 is still compatible, but painfully slow by comparison if you are trying to get somewhere.

Also, a huge part of the NYC metropolitan area is in NJ. If VW considers NYC to be the target, then it would make sense to sell the car in NJ (and CT) as well.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Just to play Devil's Advocate here (and to take a page out of your playbook), I will point out that Washington's Quick Charge infrastructure is CHAdeMO whereas VW will be using SAE CCS.

VW will use CHAdeMO in Japan. They chose to use CCS here in the US; they could just as easily offer either, or both.

Given a choice of a VW with one charge plug over the other, I know what 98% of the folks in Washington and Oregon would chose.

One VW executive remarked, “we don’t want to discriminate” on charging standards, explaining …the investors and the users will decide.” If that is true, please make CHAdeMO optional in the US. Let the users decide.

 

[evnow]

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.

Actually all CARB states are "section 177 states". Only some of the section 177 states have adopted the ZEV rules (all CARB states can pick and chose which part of CARB they want to adopt).

BTW, after 2018, FCV will continue to have travel provisions. Basically fuel cells continue to be used to run around ZEV regulation.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

BTW, after 2018, FCV will continue to have travel provisions. Basically fuel cells continue to be used to run around ZEV regulation.

What are "travel provisions"?
So do I understand correctly, Toyota really isn't doing this because they have any belief whatsoever in a future for hydrogen vehicles, this is just the cheapest way to get their ticket punched? (just a cost of doing business)

 

[TonyWilliams]

BTW, after 2018, FCV will continue to have travel provisions. Basically fuel cells continue to be used to run around ZEV regulation.

What are "travel provisions"?
So do I understand correctly, Toyota really isn't doing this because they have any belief whatsoever in a future for hydrogen vehicles, this is just the cheapest way to get their ticket punched? (just a cost of doing business)

Hydrogen keeps getting special "help" that battery electrics do not. I had not heard previously that hydrogen was to remain with the traveling provision, which if true, means that Toyota, Hyundai and Honda can laugh their asses off by only selling the cars in California with California taxes paying for the infrastructure. Plus, I'm fully confident that the 300% advantage in credits per hydrogen car over 100 mile battery car will be extended past 2017.

Other companies without hydrogen cars will have to build compelling enough battery cars to be sold in EV hot spots like Vermont, since they lose the traveling provision post 2017.

Literally, the cars they are planning now are the cars that will be sold in Vermont in 2018.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Just to play Devil's Advocate here (and to take a page out of your playbook), I will point out that Washington's Quick Charge infrastructure is CHAdeMO whereas VW will be using SAE CCS.

VW will use CHAdeMO in Japan. They chose to use CCS here in the US; they could just as easily offer either, or both.

Given a choice of a VW with one charge plug over the other, I know what 98% of the folks in Washington and Oregon would chose.

One VW executive remarked, “we don’t want to discriminate” on charging standards, explaining …the investors and the users will decide.” If that is true, please make CHAdeMO optional in the US. Let the users decide.

Yeah, wouldn't that be great? I'm not exactly holding my breath here.

And doesn't BMW offer CHAdeMO on the i3 in Japan or am I mistaken?

Here in upstate NY, the whole argument is moot. We have exactly zero quick chargers of either sort. Only Tesla dares to venture here. I am glad that there are some starting to appear along the I-95 corridor from DC to Boston. All of those are - wait for it - CHAdeMO. Not a single CCS that I know of.

 

[GetOffYourGas]

EV hot spots like Vermont

I'm not sure whether you're being sarcastic (probably), but Burlington, VT seems to have a thriving market for EVs. For a small city, I sure see a lot of them driving around. They also have the only CHAdeMO in the northeast outside of the Megalopolis.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Just to play Devil's Advocate here (and to take a page out of your playbook), I will point out that Washington's Quick Charge infrastructure is CHAdeMO whereas VW will be using SAE CCS.

VW will use CHAdeMO in Japan. They chose to use CCS here in the US; they could just as easily offer either, or both.

Given a choice of a VW with one charge plug over the other, I know what 98% of the folks in Washington and Oregon would chose.

One VW executive remarked, “we don’t want to discriminate” on charging standards, explaining …the investors and the users will decide.” If that is true, please make CHAdeMO optional in the US. Let the users decide.

Yeah, wouldn't that be great? I'm not exactly holding my breath here.

And doesn't BMW offer CHAdeMO on the i3 in Japan or am I mistaken?

Here in upstate NY, the whole argument is moot. We have exactly zero quick chargers of either sort. Only Tesla dares to venture here. I am glad that there are some starting to appear along the I-95 corridor from DC to Boston. All of those are - wait for it - CHAdeMO. Not a single CCS that I know of.

Yes, BMW will also offer a clunky afterthought CHAdeMO port (so poorly planned for that they put the J1772 port under the hood of a purpose built from scratch car).

I'm surprised that the CCS consortium wasn't pumping dollars into these "fertile" areas. The west coast is largely lost for CCS, but consortium members could have moved heaven and earth to get east coast areas that require ZEV's in ever increasing numbers.

It could have been Westinghouse and Kaiser all over again !!!

Personally, I think internally, the GM / German consortium is in trouble. Tesla and Nissan are handing them crow daily, and they don't even seem to fight back. Where is all the vitriol of two years ago. We know that there aren't any chargers (well, ten CCS Combo1 chargers in the entire USA)..

The reality is that the GM and German car standard has not grown commensurate with other charge standards. It is grossly late to the game and not actively supported by the auto manufacturers who are members. Heck, hydrogen might beat them !!!

Protocol .......... US Deployed . World Deployed . US Cars . Worldwide Cars

Hydrogen................20....................40....................25.................100....

CCS Combo1 ........ 10 ....................10 ................. 150 ............. 150 ... (moribund)

CCS Combo2 ........ 0 ......................50 .................... 0 ............. 800 ... (moribund)

CHAdeMO ......... 600 ................ 3,800 ............. 50,000 ....... 140,000 (growing fast)

Supercharger .... 600 ................... 650 ............. 25,000 ......... 35,000 (extreme growth)

 

[GRA]

<snip>
I'm surprised that the CCS consortium wasn't pumping dollars into these "fertile" areas. The west coast is largely lost for CCS, but consortium members could have moved heaven and earth to get east coast areas that require ZEV's in ever increasing numbers.

It could have been Westinghouse and Kaiser all over again !!!

Personally, I think internally, the GM / German consortium is in trouble. Tesla and Nissan are handing them crow daily, and they don't even seem to fight back. Where is all the vitriol of two years ago. We know that there aren't any chargers (well, ten CCS Combo1 chargers in the entire USA)..

The reality is that the GM and German car standard has not grown commensurate with other charge standards. It is grossly late to the game and not actively supported by the auto manufacturers who are members. Heck, hydrogen might beat them !!!

Protocol .......... US Deployed . World Deployed . US Cars . Worldwide Cars

Hydrogen................20....................40....................25.................100....

CCS Combo1 ........ 10 ....................10 ................. 150 ............. 150 ... (moribund)

CCS Combo2 ........ 0 ......................50 .................... 0 ............. 800 ... (moribund)

CHAdeMO ......... 600 ................ 3,800 ............. 50,000 ....... 140,000 (growing fast)

Supercharger .... 600 ................... 650 ............. 25,000 ......... 35,000 (extreme growth)

For a different view in reply to much the same post in another forum, see:

http://www.mychevysparkev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3788&p=7555#p7555" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[GRA]

Just for fun:

http://insideevs.com/vw-commercial-kirk-spock-e-golf-xl1-cant-great/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[markbb99]

The e-Golf has an EPA range of 83 miles

Electricity

Combined MPG:116 MPGe
City MPGe:126 Highway MPGe:105
combined
city/highway city highway

29 kWh/100 mi

EPA range: 83 miles
83 miles
Total Range



http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=35849" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[GRA]

Nice EPA range comparison chart by ievs.com:

http://insideevs.com/2015-volkswagen-e-golf-gets-epa-rated-83-mile-range-116-mpge/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[epic]

egolf has a nice feature that when car is locked with the charger plugged in ,the charger is locked on the car .

 

[desiv]

egolf has a nice feature that when car is locked with the charger plugged in ,the charger is locked on the car .

That's a nice feature, until you need a charge, pull up next to one who is done charging, but you can't unplug it and charge because it's locked.

I can definitely see wanting that for, say, your personal EVSE.
But until there are a lot more charging stations, not sure this is a real advantage as a whole.

Now, a very flexible one, that allows you to lock it when you want (say for your own EVSE), and also allows you to lock it for public charging but that only stays locked until XX% charged (You set, but unlocks when done).
That would be really nice.

desiv

 

[LeftieBiker]

Now, a very flexible one, that allows you to lock it when you want (say for your own EVSE), and also allows you to lock it for public charging but that only stays locked until XX% charged (You set, but unlocks when done).
That would be really nice.

My 2013 Leaf SV has just that feature. I never use it.

 

[NeilBlanchard]

I now drive an e-Golf, while my spouse most often drives the Leaf.

The locking charger plug is annoying, most of the time. And two other features the Leaf have would be great to have: the 3 blue lights show the state of charging, and a lighted charge port.

Two features on the e-Golf that all EV's could benefit from are free wheel coasting in drive, when you lift your right foot (with 4 levels of regen easily available); and a direct heating electric windshield defroster.

 

[GRA]

I now drive an e-Golf, while my spouse most often drives the Leaf.

The locking charger plug is annoying, most of the time. And two other features the Leaf have would be great to have: the 3 blue lights show the state of charging, and a lighted charge port.

Two features on the e-Golf that all EV's could benefit from are free wheel coasting in drive, when you lift your right foot (with 4 levels of regen easily available); and a direct heating electric windshield defroster.

Agree on the variable regen and the heated windshield. I'm less enthralled by having the regen on the 'transmission' lever, and I've been driving a clutch by choice all my life. Given the lack of a physical connection, I see no reason for anything other than paddles on the wheel/column. I think Chevy's getting this right on the new Volt and Bolt. Now VW needs to provide more range, and release a lower trim/price level of the e-Golf, but I don't expect either until sales drop off in a couple of years.

 

[NeilBlanchard]

Sure, they could have located the regen to paddles, but I just glad to have coasting by default. The "shifter" feels very solid, and it works very well. Because, there is regen on the brake pedal, too. You actually do not have to use the shifter at all.

 

[GRA]

Sure, they could have located the regen to paddles, but I just glad to have coasting by default. The "shifter" feels very solid, and it works very well. Because, there is regen on the brake pedal, too. You actually do not have to use the shifter at all.

How's the transition from regen to friction on the pedal feel? It seems to be difficult to make that feel 'natural'.