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The VW e-Golf offers an impressive quiet drive, ample space, and classic styling. We have come to expect everything from this quintessential car that is greener than its alternative diesel and petrol siblings, and it does not disappoint. Read our review to learn more about what we love about this electric car.
| Model | Battery Size | Wallbox Charge Time | Rapid Charge Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| VW e-golf | 35.8kWh | 5hrs 15min (7.4kW,0-100%) | 36 mins (50kW, 10-80%) |
The e-Golf Volkswagen produces a range of 186 miles, which is more than suitable for your local journeys to work or the school run. But should you wish to travel further afield with your electric car, you would need to plan your route, as in the real world, the range is likely to be 125 miles or so. Sadly, the e-Golf does not offer the same range capabilities of a Nissan Leaf or a Kia e-Niro which can offer up to 282 miles of range on a single charge. Still, unlike today's competitors, the e-Golf is an electric variant of an existing model, so there will be compromises as most electric models today are built from the ground up.
The range will be affected by your driving style and how much you ramp up the heating or the air con. But the e-Golf does come with a Car-net app, which will pre-warm the cabin and defrost the screen on cold wintry mornings, meaning that it will be nice and cosy when you need to leave and your range has not been affected.
This all-electric vehicle is fitted with a Rapid charging inlet as standard and can charge to 80% within 45 minutes, and while this is impressive, the rest of the charging stats are a little slower compared to its rivals. If you only have a three-pin charger at home, you will be looking at a charging time of 13 hours. In comparison, a home wall charging unit would have you fully charged and ready to get on your way in about 4 hours.
Just as an aside, there are government support packages available to help you fund a charger at your home with the £350 OLEV EVHS grant. It is worth checking if you are eligible for the grant as it is a considerable saving on the charger unit.
Unfortunately, you cannot get a government grant on a used car, but if you believe this is the right electric stead for you, then do not be disheartened as motor dealers offer attractive finance deals, so your dream car is possible. Furthermore, there are plenty of other cost benefits when purchasing an e-Golf.
Once you have your new electric Golf parked in the drive, it could cost as little as a fiver for an overnight charge based on your electricity rates at 15p per kWh. So if you are only driving to the office and back, your costs to charge will be considerably less, and your motoring will most certainly cost less on a day-to-day basis.
Warranty on the e-Golf is the manufacturer's standard three-year / 60,000-mile warranty, and the battery has cover for eight years. Provided the car is serviced at an approved dealer and regularly, the warranty will remain valid. Plus, the joy of an electric motor versus a combustion engine is that there are fewer moving parts, and fewer things can go wrong! The benefit of this is that you only need to visit your local dealer for service after two years or every 20,000 miles, which reduces your maintenance costs versus a fuel alternative.
Other costs saving bonuses are that you are fully exempt from road-tax charges. Furthermore, there is a view that depreciation on an e-Golf is predicted to perform better than some other EV models. However, with the new ID.3 on the market, it will undoubtedly impact the e-Golf value and should be considered.
It would be fair to say that the e-Golf certainly feels nippy, offering a 0-62mph of 9.6 seconds with a 134bhp electric motor. However, there are nippier options available if that is what you prefer, such as the MINI Electric at 7.3 seconds. But we feel the e-Golf is swift, agile and offers a smooth driving experience, and is very at home through a busy city or on cross country roads.
Once you venture out on the motorway, the electric Golf will sit comfortably at 70mph, but there is not much power once you have reached this speed. Either way, the car handles well, and you will feel like you are driving in peace with minimal road or wind noise. To further enhance the tranquillity of your longer journeys, you can select from five different driving modes to ensure the car is performing as economically as possible by reducing speed or managing air con. Also, you can choose B mode on the gear selector, which has the same effect as engine braking, but it feeds the energy created back into the battery. Every little kW counts when you are travelling a longer distance!
At a glance, you would be correct to say that the Volkswagen e-Golf is no different from its petrol alternatives. Still, there are subtle changes that Volkswagen Group has considered to not only highlight that this car has an electric powertrain, but to improve aerodynamic for a more economical drive.
There are subtle blue enhancements on the front grille and interior that denote its electric lineage, and the front and rear bumpers, wheels, side sills offer better aero styling than the e-Golfs siblings.
Excluding some blue detailing on the gear lever and door, the interior is the same as a standard Golf interior. As you would expect, the materials are of high quality, and the overall layout is highly user-friendly with a fair array of technology at your fingertips. All the switching gear is well placed and the infotainment system, with its 8-inch screen compatible with Apple Car Play and Android Auto, enables you to listen to your favourite beats on your daily commute. There are multiple seating and steering wheel positions, so getting comfortable should not be challenging.
In terms of space, it once again is reflective of the standard Golf interior, enabling you to get three kids into the roomy rear seating and front passengers have ample leg and shoulder room. The only space that is not the same is the boot. VW decided to place the battery beneath the boot floor space, which has decreased the trunk capacity from 380 litres to 340 litres. This is a little small compared to the spacious Renault Zoe's boot (391 litres), but you can still get your pram or folding e-bike in with ease. Plus, if the boot is not big enough, the rear seats can fold 60/40 with a simple press of a button.
With new electric cars appearing on the market all the time, the competition becomes stronger day by day. But as you would expect, the e-Golf is up there with the best in its class, receiving a full five stars in its Euro NCAP safety tests and a high score of 94% for adult occupant protection.
The e-Golf fitted with seven airbags, mandatory stability control, and braking assistance as part of the active cruise control system is certainly designed to keep the family safe.
Since the e-Golf stopped production in 2020, there are not so many new cars available, but a handful still exist, and prices are around the £26,000 mark. If you are looking at something used, there is a much wider choice, and of course, you will be able to benefit from some finance offers from the dealerships.
