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Volkswagen e-Golf Details, Images Leaked Ahead of Geneva Show

 
2,149 views Feb 20, 2013
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Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images

HI-RES GALLERY: Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images
  • Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images
  • Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images
  • Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images
  • Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images
  • Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images
  • Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images
  • Volkswagen e-Golf electric car leaked images

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German automaker Volkswagen has been teasing electric versions of its Golf for a while now (several decades, in fact) but images of a production model have now been leaked.

Czech website AutoForum.cz shows images of the latest e-Golf, based on the brand new Mk7-generation car.

The car will be revealed in full at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in the next few weeks, but preliminary details suggest it won't be dissimilar to major competitors like the Nissan Leaf or Ford Focus Electric.


A 26.5 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack should give a range of around 108 miles, presumably on the European cycle. This is near-identical to the Nissan Leaf's European driving range, so a similar EPA figure of between 70-80 miles can be expected.

Likewise, performance should be similar.

A front-mounted, 115-horsepower electric motor with 199 lbs-ft of torque translates to a 0-62 mph time of 11.8 seconds. Speed is apparently limited to 84 mph, a little less than the Leaf's 90 mph. Charging should take between 5-7 hours from a 240V 'Level 2' charging point.

Naturally, weight has risen over that of a standard Golf, by just over 550 pounds. Luggage space has decreased by a negligible cubic foot, thanks to the placement of the batteries under the rear seats.

Three driving modes should be available, letting drivers extract the most from their e-Golf. Normal, Eco and Range settings can be selected. The first leaves everything as-is, while Eco cuts power to 95 horsepower and reduces top speed. Range really curtails speedy driving, with top speed limited to just 59 mph and disconnects the air conditioning unit.

Little more has been revealed about the e-Golf, but we expect more details to pour in as the Geneva Motor Show draws closer.

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Comments (30)

  1. AceVolt avatar Micheal Toberman Posted: 2/20/2013 7:41am PST

    They should take a VW CC and put in a 60KW battery to compete with tesla.
     
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  2. rjolly avatar Rick Jolly Posted: 2/20/2013 8:58am PST

    Couldn't fit the battery on that platform.
     
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  3. fb_100000458268753 avatar Neil Blanchard Posted: 2/20/2013 7:50am PST

    Thanks for the information - the Eco mode may also include free wheel coasting, which will help increase the range, because you will accelerate less and use the kinetic energy to move the car. Regenerative braking then helps if you need to slow the car down, but easy repeatable coasting when you lift your right foot off the accelerator is a very good thing.

    The more EV's we have on the market, the better!

    Neil
     
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  4. vdiv avatar Vladi Ivanov Posted: 2/20/2013 7:50am PST

    /Rant ON

    After reading about all the prototypes, years of development, trials, auto show unveilings by VW, Audi, BMW, Porsche and Daimler I can only come to one conclusion, they just cannot do it. They cannot take a production EV to sell on the world market. They have surrendered to Nissan, Mitsubishi, Ford, GM, even Chrysler/Fiat to take the leadership, set the standards, and run away with EVs, not to even mention Tesla.

    German car makers, here is a challenge for you. Put a freaking plugin on the market, now. Your teasing is pointless if not harmful to you as no one takes you seriously when it comes down to EVs. You are losing your prestige and your reputation as automotive leaders. You frankly suck.

    /Rant OFF
     
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  5. robok2 avatar robok2 Posted: 2/20/2013 9:21am PST

    Perhaps to Tesla, but how exactly are the German OEMs losing their prestige compared to Nissan and Mitsubishi, for example? BMW hasn't rushed out a money-loser like the iMEV or LEAF yet since it cares about profitability and not releasing a vehicle until it's confident?

    The first to market appraoch isn't always best, see Renault-Nissan for clear evidence of that; after spening over $6 billion already, it has little market share, is still losing tremendous money and reviews have been mediocre at best. Was that worth $6 billion and counting?

    It's just not that simple. I want German EVs badly but most OEMs are being careful with EVs and their money, which is a sound business strategy. Taking a cautious long-term approach isn't surrendering.
     
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  6. fb_500068902 avatar George Betak Posted: 2/20/2013 1:55pm PST

    I would have to agree. They are being cautious, much like Toyota. It's not a European or German thing, it's a big automaker thing. BMW should have a very credible competitors on the market with i3 and i8 soon. Time will tell which strategy was more appropriate, I think it's too soon to pass judgement. I'm just glad that there is some movement, and our consumption of gasoline will hopefully start declining before long.
     
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  7. sustainable2020 avatar Erik Roberts Posted: 2/21/2013 8:00am PST

    Gas consumption has already gone down some in the last couple years. Hopefully will get below 5 million gallons a day by the end of this decade.
     
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  8. sustainable2020 avatar Erik Roberts Posted: 2/21/2013 8:25am PST

    No. Vladi is actually right on here. VW hopes to be the top selling automaker later this decade n they can't even build a competitive "budget" ev three/four years after Nissan n GM did?

    Nissan will likely redesign its Leaf within a year from when this johnny come lately compliance car egolf(probably in limited production numbers) finally hits US shores. Nissan's investment will likely start paying off more then just like Toyota's hybrid investment did w/ the second gen Prius ten years ago.

    Plug ins are the future. VW is just delaying the inviteable and falling further behind in EV tech as a result.

    VW should bring their new, more efficient diesels to the US coming out in the next couple years. Get rid of that crappy 5 cyl engine too
     
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  9. FelixFikke avatar Felix Fikke Posted: 2/21/2013 12:12am PST

    Actually they would be losing reputation if they would throw out half-finished / compliance cars like most of the companies you mention.
    And I can confirm that this information was leaked, not released by VW as a tease.
     
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  10. fb_100000909608430 avatar Brian Lowe Posted: 2/20/2013 7:57am PST

    I'm actually hearing this from VW? I'm impressed. Just to mention, compared to the Leaf, the e-Golf with a less powerful motor in terms of torque and larger battery, I was surprised to see that expected range would be somewhat similar to the Leaf's. The e-Gold must be far less aerodynamic, considering the weight of the e-Golf would be just less than 300kg lighter than the Leaf.
     
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  11. BigB avatar Yuval Brandstetter Posted: 2/20/2013 10:05am PST

    if the battery is fixed, it will meet the same fate as all other fixed battery cars: It will be unsellable at 4 years time
     
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  12. FelixFikke avatar Felix Fikke Posted: 2/21/2013 12:17am PST

    Then why would the warrenty on the battery be much, much longer then that?
     
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  13. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 2/20/2013 10:55am PST

    "A front-mounted, 115-horsepower electric motor with 199 lbs-ft of torque translates to a 0-62 mph time of 11.8 seconds. Speed is apparently limited to 84 mph, a little less than the Leaf's 90 mph"

    We don't need any "SLOW" EVs to ruin the image of plugins... Don't they get it? Tesla is what people want. Make it affordable and people will wait in line for it....
     
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  14. vdiv avatar Vladi Ivanov Posted: 2/20/2013 11:46am PST

    They do not get it. Or worse case they do not want to get it and intentionally develop crap. I'll take ignorance vs. malice.
     
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  15. fb_500068902 avatar George Betak Posted: 2/20/2013 1:58pm PST

    The spec is not very impressive, possibly in an effort to extend range. I was excited at first, but now I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't buy it. Still, it's good to see something is being developed, even if it's a compliance car. I'm sure that a lesson or two will be learned from this exercise. Can't wait to see the EPA range rating.
     
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  16. FelixFikke avatar Felix Fikke Posted: 2/21/2013 12:19am PST

    This is in no way a compliance car. It's a car that lives up to high standards of VW. I understand people comparing it to Tesla since they have an awesome BEV. But you wouldn't compare a E-class/5-series/A6 to a Golf, so why compare a Model S with it?

    It's a great little car, and a blast to drive :)
     
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  17. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 2/20/2013 4:26pm PST

    Well, why would a company famous for its diesel doing something electric? That is after the company official openly ridiculed other automakers for making Plugins.

    Maybe they are there to make a "substandard plugins" to show the world that plugins don't work...
     
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  18. Jiminy avatar Jim Royston Posted: 2/20/2013 3:04pm PST

    Yeah, Teslas are what people want but the mainstream cannot afford it.I'm sure this Golf is not slow in day to day driving. Midrange flexibility beats big power numbers every time.
     
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  19. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 2/20/2013 4:27pm PST

    That is slower than a Prius.
     
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  20. Jiminy avatar Jim Royston Posted: 2/20/2013 6:02pm PST

    The drivability of a car is greater than the sum of it's top speed and 0-60 times. Electric powertrains are about not having to wait for acceleration unlike waiting for an IC engine to get on cam for anything to happen.

    The MK7 Golf BEV will be very refined. I have a Leaf right now but my MK6 Golf TDI before it was more refined as far as the chassis goes.
     
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  21. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 2/20/2013 10:08pm PST

    I have always favor electric drivetrain, but based on the 0-60mph number, torque and hp, it means the motor is running of power at higher speed. That just means the car is nothing more than a "city car"... NOT good enough for "mainstream". 11.3 sec is really slow...
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  22. FelixFikke avatar Felix Fikke Posted: 2/21/2013 12:21am PST

    You're absoletely right. Driving the e-Golf is a lot of fun and it certainly does not feel slow at all. I like it more than the Golf R, where nothing happens when you put the pedal down until the turbo kicks in.
     
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  23. sustainable2020 avatar Erik Roberts Posted: 2/21/2013 8:06am PST

    How have you have you actually driven this eGolf???? Its not even out in car show concept form. It seems you are just making things up in your head. Speak truth!!!
     
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  24. john_v avatar John Voelcker Posted: 2/21/2013 8:28am PST

    @Erik, @Felix: It's possible that Felix drove one of the many prototype e-Golfs built on previous-generation Golf bodies. It would help if he could explain under what circumstances he drove, if he did, and what exactly the car was.
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  25. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 2/21/2013 11:52am PST

    Sure electric delivers instant torque, but it appears the juices run out once it hits higher rpm. The turbo is exactly the opposite.

    So, it is just another proof that the eGolf is nothing more than a city car...
     
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  26. johnny mars avatar johnny mars Posted: 2/20/2013 6:29pm PST

    VW is ranked way down near the bottom for reliability, right near Range Rover and Chrysler. They ought to improve their image before bringing out new models which are traditionally buggy. Even GM is ranked higher, and Lincoln is near the top.
     
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  27. johnny mars avatar johnny mars Posted: 2/20/2013 6:33pm PST

    I have range anxiety so I bought a Volt. I am currently getting 105 MPG and rising, and get about 44 miles of EV on a full charge. I'm still on my first tank of gas.
     
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  28. sustainable2020 avatar Erik Roberts Posted: 2/21/2013 8:15am PST

    A longer range plug-in hybrid is a great way to go for a somewhat affordable green long range vehicle this decade. Volt will be a BIG contender for many more sales if the redesigned Volt in 2015 or 2016 has 50+ mile range in EV mode and a Prius like 50+mpg in hybrid mode.

    I would definitely strongly consider the Volt if that happens.
     
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  29. fb_1559222512 avatar Xiaolong Li Posted: 2/21/2013 11:56am PST

    Actually I will take a Volt with 60 EV miles+ and 45mpg in extended mode.
     
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  30. fb_500068902 avatar George Betak Posted: 2/23/2013 12:10am PST

    You might want to have a look at the i3 then, once BMW announced final pricing. Hopefully, it won't be too far away from the Volt.
     
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