Volkswagen e-Golf – A Stepping Stone To EV Future

Introduction

Electric vehicles, or EVs as they’re more commonly known, are slowly becoming commonplace on this country’s tarmac. But when their designs echo those futuristic robots from WALL-E, I can understand why making the jump from petrol to a three-pin plug feels daunting to the average road-goer.

The BMW i3 has too many angles, the Renault ZOE is a bit too curvy, and we’re peppered with electric hypercars boasting, frankly, stupidly high-performance figures that scare even me off. Add to that a lack of education around charging and infrastructure, and you’re left with a tough choice. VW, however, has given us a stepping stone.

As usual, it comes in the form of the VW Golf, which for most of its life has bridged the gap between the family car and the hot hatch. The e-Golf’s purpose is to do the same thing – but between the combustion engine and the electric motor.

Power and Efficiency

Torque arrives instantly from the battery pack tucked neatly under the floor (around 318 kg), and the front wheels translate 134 bhp and 214 lb ft to the tarmac of city roads effortlessly. Unlike combustion engines, electric motors tend to run out of puff at the top end, so 0–62 mph takes 9.6 seconds. It won’t blow you away on paper, but that familiar EV shove in the back makes it feel quicker than the numbers suggest. In fact, the torque can be strong enough to flash the traction control light during a spirited drive.

There’s no engine noise – prod the Start button and the cabin fills with only a faint electronic whirr. I’m afraid to say the days of a burbling idle and accompanying vibrations are, here at least, a thing of the past.

Official range is up to around 144 miles WLTP (the older NEDC figure was 186 miles). In the real world that’s plenty for a day of merciless journalists lapping Milton Keynes’ roundabouts.

On the Road

As you’d expect from most German marques, interior quality is outstanding, and there’s little difference between this and a conventional Golf. It’s much the same on the road, too.

The ride is refined with well-judged damping, and with such a low centre of gravity you can drop the car into a corner and slingshot through the exit using the surges of torque on tap. The brakes are equally impressive but can be tricky to modulate due to the transition into regenerative braking – something you quickly get used to. Helpfully, you can adjust the natural regen: tap the gear selector to increase or decrease the effect (D1–D3 or ‘B’ mode). Lift off the accelerator and the car decelerates to harvest energy, which is surprisingly handy in stop-start traffic and keeps the battery topped up as best as possible.

Out on the open road the e-Golf will run to 93 mph. Not remotely quick by Autobahn standards, but more than enough to earn a speeding ticket in the UK.

Safety and Technology

This is the part where I’d usually list cruise settings and climate control, but we all know what a modern Golf includes. You can connect any phone to the infotainment, enjoy fully adjustable seating up front, and rely on a suite of sensors and driver assists to make most journeys feel pleasantly stress-free.

Living with an EV is simpler than you might think. There’s far less to go wrong: only a handful of moving parts in the powertrain, no oil, no spark plugs, and servicing is handled by VW dealers.

Charging is the bit that worries most newcomers. On a 40–50 kW CCS rapid you’re looking at roughly 45–60 minutes for a top-up from about 20–80%. At home, the 7.2 kW onboard charger will take roughly five to six hours for a full charge on a typical wallbox. There are charging points all over the country – use Zapmap to find one near you – and a full battery from a domestic tariff can cost only a few pounds, depending on your unit rate.

To Sum Up

There are plenty of reasons to make the jump to the world of AC and DC. It’s more eco-friendly (depending on how your electricity is generated), it’s cheaper to run, and the low-speed performance is hard to match.

The e-Golf bundles all of this into a tight hatchback package while keeping the standout quality and premium dynamics of its petrol and diesel siblings intact. And for anyone who’s still unsure about EV tech, having the weight of one of the world’s biggest carmakers behind it certainly helps.

If you’re after an EV that feels and drives like not just a car, but a very good car, the e-Golf is a compelling choice. And the fact it doesn’t look like something Pixar dreamt up is the clincher.

Prices start at £28,690 which includes the £3,500 government grant.