

Dip into its ridiculously-accessible performance, and that 186-mile potential range will drop markedly. Thankfully, the e-Golf at least stands a chance if you’re careful. What is the e-Golf’s range?Īs with all other electric cars, this boils down to how you drive, what the road’s like, and even what the ambient temperature is. Three drive modes are offered but the differences are marginal unless you choose Eco+, which gets you home but at the expense of any meaningful performance or air-conditioning. The battery’s an H-shaped creation wedged up under the front and rear seats and running forward into what would be the engine bay, where you’ll find the e-motor.įamiliar EV controls let you adjust the level of regenerative braking off the throttle, from low as standard to a level that allows for BMW i3-style single-pedal driving. It’s powered by a 134bhp e-motor capable of punting the hatchback to 50mph in 6.9sec and 62mph in 9.6sec.

It also has reduced rolling resistance tyre technology from Bridgestone, and a slug of usable power. But equipped with its 35.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, it still has decent energy density and is coupled to an efficient motor for an official range of 186 miles. The electric Golf was quite a step up over its 2014 predecessor, but lags behind rivals such as the Nissan Leaf e+ and Hyundai Kona Electric in terms of battery technology. So, before you decide to write it off out of hand in favour of the flimsy futurism of the Tesla Model 3 or proven Renault Zoe, let us spell out the good, the bad and the ugly of the Volkswagen e-Golf.

And while the e-Golf can’t be bought new anymore, there are some good second-hand deals to be had.
#VOLKWAGEN GL GOLF REVIEW DRIVERS#
This approach to electrification also means there won’t be another fully-electric Golf now the eighth-generation model is on sale.īut, while the e-Golf never really represented the bleeding edge of EV development, it works well as an electric car for those who put familiarity first and foremost – drivers who want an EV, but want it to look and feel very much like the family hatchback they’re already used to.
