Volkswagen e-Golf now on sale

The Volkswagen e-Golf is now on sale in the UK, offering buyers the choice of a fully electric version of the popular Volkswagen Golf hatchback.

The car can cover up to 118 miles on a single charge and its AC electric motor produces 113bhp, meaning the e-Golf is closest to the performance of the VW Golf BlueMotion in the conventional Golf line-up. That car has a 1.6-litre diesel engine and produces 110bhp.

The battery in the floor of the e-Golf can be fully charged via a standard UK plug socket in 13 hours and charge time can be brought down to eight hours if an optional wallbox is used. The wallbox is currently available for free from British Gas and e-Golf customers will also be eligible for the green electricity tarrif through Ecotricity.

The e-Golf will go from 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds and has a top speed of 87mph. It comes equipped with three driving modes, one for standard driving and two economy profiles. ‘Eco’ mode reduces the electric motor’s power and the output of the air conditioning, while ‘Eco+’ reduces power even further and completely disables the air conditioning. Full power is still accessible in both modes by kicking down on the accelerator, as in a car with an automatic gearbox.

The e-Golf also features regenerative braking, where the car uses energy created by braking to charge the battery, and full LED headlights, which use less power than normal headlights.

On the outside, the car gets C-shaped LED daytime running lights in the front bumper, a blue strip on the front grille, and a blue-edged VW badge. The interior features blue stitching and blue ambient lighting can also be included as an option.

The e-Golf will only be available as a five-door car and will come with the standard Golf’s SE trim level plus climate control, front and rear parking sensors, special alloy wheels and an eight-inch colour touchscreen with sat-nav.

The Volkswagen e-Golf is priced at £25,845, which includes the £5,000 grant given by the Government to electric vehicle buyers, and is available from 24 Volkswagen electric vehicle specialist retailers across the UK.

For reviews of cars in the current Volkswagen range, visit the Carbuyer Volkswagen page.