Official VW e-Golf thread - $29,815

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DarthPuppy said:
I think the present price point is viable thanks to incentives. The ICE Golf starts at $20k. The e-Golf starts at $29k. With the federal and California incentives, the e-Golf can be had for a net $19k. And then you have all of the savings of not having to buy gas, do oil changes, longer lasting brakes, etc. And my commute would benefit greatly from HOV access if that is still available.

The flip side is the likely fast depreciation. But that only really bites you if you sell it or it gets into an accident and the insurance sticks you with a small check. Granted, one could reasonably expect an ICE Golf to run 10-20 years and go 200k+ miles. So we aren't apples-apples. In theory, the e-golf should be able to do that too, just with replacing the batteries, which is probably less than the gas, oil changes, etc. accumulate to by the time the battery needs to be changed. However, as noted elsewhere on this forum, people are reluctant to invest in batteries for a number of reasons.

The above of course assumes VW doesn't jack the price up on the 2017.
The % of potential customers who will qualify to get the full incentives, especially the federal tax credit, will decrease once the price drops below $30k. There was an article a while back at IEVS, GCR or one of the other EV websites which said that the size of the potential market doubles (or halves) for every $5k change in the price up or down. I believe all the companies selling PEVs have factored incentives into their MSRPs, and I expect that once the incentives go away the MSRPs will drop considerably. I imagine they hope they'll be able to make a profit at the lower price by then.
 
Via IEVS:
Volkswagen Feels Tesla Model 3 Will Be Too Expensive – Aims For Mid $20,000, 300-Mile Electric Golf
http://insideevs.com/volkswagen-says-tesla-model-3-will-expensive-aims/

At the upcoming Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen claims that it will reveal a prototype of a long-range electric car that will eventually be sold for approximately the price of a conventional, gas-powered Golf. . . .

According to VW, the planned electric car will have a 300-mile range (likely NEDC, so more like 200ish miles in the real world/EPA) and it will be able to charge in 15 minutes or so. The car will reportedly be Golf-based, which likely means that it’ll ride on the same MEB platform as the next-generation Golf, but the similarities may end there. . . .

The company is saying that the on-sale target date for this e-Golf is 2025. . . .
 
Via GCC:

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1107336_2017-volkswagen-e-golf-124-miles-of-range-more-motor-power-la-auto-show-debut

2017 Volkswagen e-Golf: 124 miles of range, more motor power, LA Auto Show debut

Who'd want this given the Bolt is out? Me!
 
LeftieBiker said:
I'll bet it still doesn't have a heated steering wheel.
Which IMO is a deal breaker! Coming from a cold climate I'd trade the heated seats for heated steering wheel any day, both are even better :cool:
Got to give credit to Nissan for that, generally a heated steering wheel is only available on top level cars and even that only on top trim models, Leafs get it even on a lowly model like my S :)
 
Yes, it's a deal breaker for me as well. Oh well, I doubt the refreshed eGolf will have a 4 camera parking system, either. I'll be crying when I sign the lease on a crappy 107 mile, 108HP Leaf...
 
As much as I love my heated steering wheel, it is certainly not a deal breaker for me. The issue I have with this car actually has nothing to do with the car itself but the infrastructure. Today there are already enough CCS QC in the right places for me to make my long-distance trips in a Bolt (thanks to Hannaford in Albany!) Not so in a 125 mile eGolf. But if CCS were much more common, I would gladly deal with the few extra stops per year for the nicer looking (IMO) and presumably nicer driving eGolf (TBD, but the lower/sportier form factor suggests it)
 
I on the other hand don't really need a 200 mile EV. I need to be able to travel 70 miles in frigid weather without worrying about heat, and 100 miles in Summer with the A/C running. I would also very much like to be able to use QC, either kind, and since my local Hannaford (Troy) now has a station with both, it doesn't matter which one. I do, however, absolutely need a heated steering wheel. The circulation in my hands is so bad that when I'm showering, if I stick my hands in first they will tell me the water is warm even when it's still cool. They generate no heat to spare, so I have to use heated gloves on my bike. I'm not going to go through having to wear and then recharge those big gloves just to drive my car.
 
I like!!! :D

I really liked the eGolf I test drove back in 2015. And 124 mile range just clears my minimum range requirements once I allow for battery degradation over a few years. This will allow me to replace an ICE and we would then be a 2 BEV family. Now I just got to save enough pennies to be able to pay for it.

I'm heading to the auto show on Saturday and will take a look at it. :cool:
 
I've got an 'early' deposit (3/31 of this year) for a Tesla Model 3 but my '12 LEAF SL with 45K miles and down one battery capacity 'bar' is barely making my new longer commute (even at 100% charge) in the winter so I'm getting a '15 e-Golf with just over 1K miles on it for $18K that will be my 'stop gap' EV until the Model 3 becomes available -- after my LEAF trade-in I'm out-of-pocket around $13K for a next to new EV. Although I didn't get to drive one, I like the multiple regen options, better ride/handling, heated windshield glass (similar to the rear defroster) that the e-Golf offers -- I've owned VW's for years (still have 2 ICE's from them) and despite dieselgate this e-Golf looks like a great effort. Even if I can only get $5K for it once the Model 3 is available (I'm predicting about 2 years plus from now) its still a lot less than opting to buy/lease a Tesla Model S (which I did consider) and even a bit less that buying a new LEAF SV (at least around Chicagoland -- not much inventory and would have to go through the whole Fed Tax Credit and paying extra sales tax up front, etc.). I had also thought about opting for an on-my-own-dime $6K lizard battery replacement but my LEAF has now gone through 4+ Midwest winters and it still has the less efficient heater, etc. -- I did check with my local VW dealer first and all their tech's are EV certified to work on the e-Golf probably in anticipation of the US-wide rollout of next year's model.

Will update once I get it -- we don't get these in the Midwest at all yet so its coming in from the east coast; should see it in 3 weeks or less. They had a recent long-term wrap up test in Automobile that duplicates a lot of the same conditions we have here:

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2015-volkswagen-e-golf-sel-premium-one-year-review/

My VW dealer is really bending over backwards to keep customers (really hard once your reputation has been damaged like this) but they've really always treated me fairly, are really convenient to drop off (and get service loaners) a short distance from where we live so back in late '11 when we bought our LEAF if VW offered this car, would have easily chosen them over Nissan. The LEAF did OK but a few things with it always bugged me (thin paint, inefficient heater, poorly designed electric windows/switches, etc.) enough for a change sooner than I expected -- I do give Nissan a LOT of credit for being first with 'affordable' EV's but they'll need to step their game up with the latest new entrants; and NO VW isn't there quite yet but for this kind of money and timing it should work for me.
 
You got a good price for the e-Golf. Thanks for the link to Jamie Kitman's article. He used to have a column entitled "Noise, Vibration and Harshness" which, of course BEV's haven't got.
 
redLEAF said:
I've got an 'early' deposit (3/31 of this year) for a Tesla Model 3 but my '12 LEAF SL with 45K miles and down one battery capacity 'bar' is barely making my new longer commute (even at 100% charge) in the winter so I'm getting a '15 e-Golf with just over 1K miles on it for $18K that will be my 'stop gap' EV until the Model 3 becomes available -- after my LEAF trade-in I'm out-of-pocket around $13K for a next to new EV. Although I didn't get to drive one, I like the multiple regen options, better ride/handling, heated windshield glass (similar to the rear defroster) that the e-Golf offers -- I've owned VW's for years (still have 2 ICE's from them) and despite dieselgate this e-Golf looks like a great effort. Even if I can only get $5K for it once the Model 3 is available (I'm predicting about 2 years plus from now) its still a lot less than opting to buy/lease a Tesla Model S (which I did consider) and even a bit less that buying a new LEAF SV (at least around Chicagoland -- not much inventory and would have to go through the whole Fed Tax Credit and paying extra sales tax up front, etc.). I had also thought about opting for an on-my-own-dime $6K lizard battery replacement but my LEAF has now gone through 4+ Midwest winters and it still has the less efficient heater, etc. -- I did check with my local VW dealer first and all their tech's are EV certified to work on the e-Golf probably in anticipation of the US-wide rollout of next year's model.

Will update once I get it -- we don't get these in the Midwest at all yet so its coming in from the east coast; should see it in 3 weeks or less. They had a recent long-term wrap up test in Automobile that duplicates a lot of the same conditions we have here:

http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2015-volkswagen-e-golf-sel-premium-one-year-review/

My VW dealer is really bending over backwards to keep customers (really hard once your reputation has been damaged like this) but they've really always treated me fairly, are really convenient to drop off (and get service loaners) a short distance from where we live so back in late '11 when we bought our LEAF if VW offered this car, would have easily chosen them over Nissan. The LEAF did OK but a few things with it always bugged me (thin paint, inefficient heater, poorly designed electric windows/switches, etc.) enough for a change sooner than I expected -- I do give Nissan a LOT of credit for being first with 'affordable' EV's but they'll need to step their game up with the latest new entrants; and NO VW isn't there quite yet but for this kind of money and timing it should work for me.

Congrats on the new (to you) purchase. I've had my eGolf just under 18 months now and I'm extremely happy with it.

I'm guessing that if you bought the car through a VW dealer that it's already been addressed, but make sure that it's had its safety recalls done. There are two for the 2015 eGolf:

1. NHTSA Campaign 16V138000 reflashes the Battery Management software to address an issue with which the car mysteriously shuts down for no reason. Affects cars built on or before March 1, 2016. A handful of eGolf owners had theirs Lemon Lawed prior to VW figuring out the problem.

2. NHTSA Campaign 15V627000 addresses the problem in which the front passenger airbag sensor does not properly detect the size of the passenger sitting in that seat, causing it to not inflate properly or even not at all. Affects eGolfs built on or before October 18, 2014 (very few if any of these super-early cars made it to the US) as well as some other Golfs and Jettas.

Also, did you get the SEL or the LE? The SEL is the one with the faux leather interior, and also has a heat pump which draws far less energy than the pre-2013 Leaf heaters. A/C isn't quite as cold though.

There are also some TSBs for non-safety related items like the HVAC annoyingly resetting itself to 68 degrees F if the car is shut off for more than 20 minutes or so.
 
redLEAF said:
so I'm getting a '15 e-Golf
IMHO, I really love the e-Golf -- especially for how it doesn't look grotesquely like an EV.

But, the first few years of e-Golf's have a really bad misfeature if you use shared EVSEs -- the car always locks the charge cord, and it can only be unlocked by the owner of the car. Here at work we have about 40 parking spots served by 20 EVSEs. If you end up getting parked next to an e-Golf you have to wait for the owner to come out and unplug their car.
 
jlv said:
redLEAF said:
so I'm getting a '15 e-Golf
IMHO, I really love the e-Golf -- especially for how it doesn't look grotesquely like an EV.

But, the first few years of e-Golf's have a really bad misfeature if you use shared EVSEs -- the car always locks the charge cord, and it can only be unlocked by the owner of the car. Here at work we have about 40 parking spots served by 20 EVSEs. If you end up getting parked next to an e-Golf you have to wait for the owner to come out and unplug their car.

Your message implies they changed this feature. Did they? It was probably my biggest gripe of the e-Golf.
 
asimba2 said:
jlv said:
redLEAF said:
so I'm getting a '15 e-Golf
IMHO, I really love the e-Golf -- especially for how it doesn't look grotesquely like an EV.

But, the first few years of e-Golf's have a really bad misfeature if you use shared EVSEs -- the car always locks the charge cord, and it can only be unlocked by the owner of the car. Here at work we have about 40 parking spots served by 20 EVSEs. If you end up getting parked next to an e-Golf you have to wait for the owner to come out and unplug their car.

Your message implies they changed this feature. Did they? It was probably my biggest gripe of the e-Golf.

This feature was changed for the 2016 model.
 
2015 VW e-Golf Limited; bought used with 1,234 miles – previous history says it was a 1-yr lease, perhaps a VW Exec?, not sure but was last registered in CT – traded in a ’12 LEAF SL that had 46K miles on it, my LEAF was down 1 battery capacity bar on the GOM and quickly getting ready to lose its 2nd bar as it would lose its first charged bar within a very few miles of driving; never did check it with LeafSpy but as it just passed its 5-year service anniversary, would NOT have been eligible for a capacity warranty replacement; needed to ‘upgrade’ to something else as even on my 40 mile R/T commuter trips with a full charge would still hit the ‘low battery’ warning even with VERY minimal use of the HVAC system and ECO mode on my way home; could NOT see it lasting until a Tesla M3 was out; while waiting for this e-Golf to come in, I was able to L2 charge it at a free charger near work but it wasn’t always available; it was simply a matter of time; I do have an ICE for bad weather, etc. but wanted to keep the mileage down on it as well.

The e-Golf (even in our extreme cold temps as of late) appears to still have its full capacity of EV range; it has 4 levels of regen that really allow it to quickly recoup range at minor loss of HVAC and speed, etc. – love the fact that at the highest regen levels, it will warn drivers behind you by turning on the brake lights (even though you aren’t pressing the brake) when you chose to use it, at night I was able to see where the ‘threshold’ (can see the reflection of the 3rd brake light in the back hatch window) – at the ‘B’ setting, you can easily single pedal it.

Some quick things I’ve noticed in the first week I’ve owned it –

Handling / suspension – power steering isn’t over boosted like my LEAF, responds well and very precise without feeling vague; even w/o a leather wrapped wheel, decent wheel position (although I do miss my heated steering wheel a bit!) – the car really shows its German precision on hwy ramps and S-turns; a real blast to drive, no wallowing in turns at all; it’s a smaller car but rides well, firm but not harsh, absorbs most bumps easily and suspension doesn’t bottom out – my son has a Golf R, the e-Golf is a bit softer of course but ‘feels’ much sportier than the LEAF ever was.

Acceleration – perhaps simply perception, but feels quicker off the line w/o really trying, even when using the regen settings; gets up to 70 MPH very quickly and wind and tire noise is minimal; its initial 0 to 30 MPH is quite quick like most EV’s

Brakes – BIG difference here with the 1st gen LEAF, the ‘B’ regen setting minimizes need to apply the brakes much, this will REALLY extend the brake life – when you do need them very responsive without grabbing or being too touchy (that last one happened a few times with the LEAF, seemed to be super-sensitive to even the slightest amount of pedal pressure at times w/o any warning).

Fit/finish & controls – all the switches (door locks, window lifts, etc.) are back-lit for quick reference at night, a big pet peeve with the LEAF; even though VW chose to use a ‘regular’ appearing shifter, it’s quite easy to know what regen (or not) ‘gear’ you’re in as well as adjust it quickly; the ‘feel’ of the shifter and the shift boot, etc. is great and materials used are top notch. The e-Golf is mfg in Germany and all seams, panel gaps, etc. line up great – sure we have some hard plastic surfaces but these are much less than what is used in the LEAF. Lastly, the back-up camera is simply better because it pops out from underneath the rear VW chrome badge when in use (which also doubles as the hatch release) so stays protected from road salt and grit – who remembers to clean that camera off when it’s really needed? Also, this one included the parking assist sensors; its a smaller car so perhaps not really necessary but does help to warn you before you hit something Nice touch VW!

Range – VW chose to use a regular looking fuel gauge but it’s combined with a digital read out --- I found it MUCH better at real-time range estimate than my first-gen LEAF but then I’ve heard that later years (‘13’s and newer) are finally getting this better; my new e-Golf of course has a close to ‘new’ battery so expect some better range and it hasn’t disappointed yet --- heater use will effect range but not as near as much as the 1st-gen LEAF; VW heated seats (mine are cloth) get quite hot quickly along with a heated element windshield helps minimize its effect on range – I do toggle it on and off to see the difference – perhaps 6 miles it seems at most times, we had some days in single digits; driving at hwy speeds (65 to 70 MPH) and its done quite well --- range typically shows about 78 miles (at about 90% charged) which is more than enough for my 40 miles work commute; expect 100+ when we finally see springtime temps again but that would be a bonus.

Charging – this ’15 will indeed ‘lock’ the charge cord to it when charging, so on an occasion that I used a public charger station, I made sure to move the car once it was done charging (everyone should do this anyway!); perhaps an additional step but at least I was prepared for it – you’ll get about 24 miles/hour of range with the 7.2 kW it has for L2 charging (a bit more than the 2nd gen LEAF 6.6 kW); charging is very quiet, almost imperceptible when compared to the 1st gen LEAF (which charged at half that rate); charge port door is small as VW opted for CCS DC (which my car is capable of) and it shows a few lights that will indicate charging status right where you plug it in --- nice! My EVSE will need a higher amp control station circuit board (as mentioned elsewhere on MNL forum) but by NOT charging fully, I’ve been able to avoid any issues using my Schneider EVSE.

Comfort – most other VW’s have great seats; these are no exception, the black and grey cloth with blue stitching look nice and are quite comfortable, lots of adjustments for just about any size, no fatigue after a long drive, heated aspect much better than the LEAF (plus they don’t cycle off) with 3 settings – much better power windows as well as are capable to all roll down at the same time to release the daytime heat (haven’t used this yet of course) and don’t think they’ll have the same repeat issues we’ve had with LEAF needing attention just about at every service interval (constant need to lubricate the driver’s side power window, etc. as they always seem to run real slow).

Styling – of course this is up to the potential buyer; some love the unique aspect of the LEAF, the Golf series however would not ever be considered as ‘dorky’ as what many see as a negative with the LEAF; the e-Golf just adds a few accents (c-shaped LED DRL’s in the front bumper as well as a few blue accents) and trim pieces, I happen to like its stealth-mode; you would never know it’s an EV.

Overall package, value, etc. – although this was to be my ‘stop gap’ EV until we see the Tesla Model 3, I actually like it so much I may simply consider driving it until later on when Tesla offers their Model Y (compact SUV) that is expected to use the Model 3 chassis but we’ll see --- no question a 200+ mile range EV is much more desirable but I see this e-Golf as something the LEAF could have been in the first place – it still a shame that all ‘commuter’ EV’s continue to suffer BIG depreciation hits (that’s why I’m even driving this one in the first place) but at least I’ve been able to take advantage of it this time.

VW hasn’t sold a lot of these but definitely worth a 2nd look on the used market if you can find one – I did hear that the e-Golf should go to more dealers with the 2017 model with its 124 mile range; still not Tesla or Chevy Bolt range but getting better --- as we were already used to coming home on weekends to charge for a few hours in-between errands, until the 200+ range (along with a usable Supercharger or other DC network for longer trips) is more available this EV should fit the bill for a few years while we wait and see what comes next. I'm still working with VW's version of CARWINGS (they call it Car-Net) so I can check charging status and pre-condition the HVAC, etc. --- will post another update later -- by trading now I also avoided a few hundred bucks the LEAF needed to keep its CARWINGS (over to a 3G network) and its annual battery check (which of course still would have been all 5's!!) -- I was a little sorry to see it go, decent service for the 5 years we had it --- not exceptional but decent --- car still holds the record for the lowest running and maintenance costs but set a NEW record on depreciation!
 
Congrats on your purchase. I'm very happy with mine. I'm even considering buying out the lease especially if VW Credit offers a discount off the residual the way NMAC did for my Leaf (I don't need 127 miles of range).

You mentioned cloth seats...I'm guessing you got one of the rare eGolf LE's? Most 2015 models were the top-spec SEL with the (fake) leather interior. If your car has halogen lamps and hubcaps (vs. LED's and alloys) you have the LE model. Just FYI this model has a conventional resistive heater and not the heat pump like the SEL does.

Personally I find the eGolf to have more usable range, even though the EPA says it's the same as a similar year Leaf. I easily attain 4 miles/kWH in the eGolf whereas I had to be a bit gentle with the Leaf to do that. 80 miles/charge is doable in the eGolf using all freeway (at reasonable speeds); to do that in the Leaf required me to use lower-speed city streets.

As far as the styling...it doesn't scream "eco" at all. It's so anonymous that when I brought it to a Drive Electric event, the event staff told me to park it by the ICEVs :lol:
 
The thing I hate most about my 2016 eGolf Sel is that it locks the charging plug. In most other respects in compares favorably to my ex Mercedes B. So far I love the car.
 
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