Volkswagen e-Golf: MK 7 Golf EV leaks ahead of Geneva debut

An electric version of the MK 7 Volkswagen Golf – the VW e-Golf – has leaked out ahead of a debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

Even though car industry bosses are sure that battery electric cars have no realistic chance of becoming a mainstream option – and the best-selling EV, the Nissan LEAF, has only sold 50k since 2010 – VW are rolling out an electric Golf at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

The VW e-Golf – with pretty much the same underpinnings as the new Mk 7 Golf with an ICE engine – comes with an electric motor driving the front wheels and offering 115bhp and 199lb/ft of torque, enough to get the e-Golf to 62mph in 11.8 seconds and on to a top speed of just 84mph.

The e-Golf needs between five and seven hours to charge up from the mains and that will be enough to deliver a range (in ideal conditions) of a little over 100 miles. The battery for the electric motor is located under the back seat (and steals a bit of boot space too) and all the electric gubbins adds 250kg to the Golf’s weight.

The e-Golf will come with three driving modes – Normal, Eco and Range. Normal offers regular performance and range, Eco cuts power to 95 horses and cuts toip speed to 75mph and Range cuts the power further, limits top speed to 60mph and deactivates the AirCon to try and squeeze a few more miles out of the batteries.

The usual aero tweaks are implemented on the e-golf and there will be stuff like lowered suspension and low rolling resistance tyres to try and squeeze ever last mile of range.

No doubt the e-Golf will cost a chunk more than a normal Golf, offer less performance and the sort of range that would only need a couple of gallons of juice in a diesel Golf.

So why bother?

Source: AutoForum.cz