We've said it before: Rechargeable cars can quickly drop in value. Not because the old one is bad, but because the new one is so much better.
Old e-Golf with 35,8 KWh battery is not a bad car
It has a range of 230 km (WLTP) - but can go further if you are careful on the gas. It has full Golf equipment and scores high on "look and feel". When we tested it last year, the list price was NOK 330. Equipped with "necessary" equipment, such as digital dashboard and technology package and more, the price would easily exceed 000. Now the 350 models are on sale for between 000 and 2019. Good if you are looking for a new electric car, but not if you bought the e-Golf last year. An extraordinary loss of value of 280 is a lot of money.
More of everything
Why the e-Golf can no longer be sold for 330 is because of Volkswagen's all-new electric car ID.000. With the middle battery pack, it costs the same, has a 3 km longer range and more interior space. A couple of smart features are sure to excite many. The ID.190 has no start button. Get in, fasten your seat belt, put the car in drive - and go! On the road, graphic signals on the head-up display will provide ongoing driving tips, such as when you should brake.
Designed as an electric car
When we drove the e-Golf, we concluded that the interior was exemplary. Compared to the ID.3 prototype on display, the Golf 7's interior now appears a bit old-fashioned, especially the infotainment screen. Visually, the Golf also seems smaller , even though the length and width are about the same. The ID.3, however, is 10 cm higher and makes better use of the space. The greater space in the cabin – especially in the back seat – is a result of the ID.3 being designed as an electric car from the ground up . We see the same in Teslas. Electric powertrains don't make as big a dent in the interior space as piston-engine-based powertrains.
3 series
I studied the ID.3 1st at the Oslo Motor Show. It was an ID.3 “1st”. That’s the one you can order now for around 330,000 kroner. Despite the name “1st”, it’s the mid-range version with a 58 KWh battery pack and a range of 420 km (WLTP). The entry-level model will have a 45 KWh battery pack and a range of 330 km (WLTP). In Germany, it has been announced that it will cost under 30,000 euros. There will also be a top model with 68 KWh and a range of 550 km (WLTP).
A little price war
Considering what the new ID.3 1st can offer for the same price as the e-Golf, it is of course no longer possible to sell the e-Golf at “full price”. The new prices of the outgoing model make it a very strong competitor in the lower price range, where the Hyundai Ioniq, KIA Soul, BMW i3 and Renault Zoe are located. No wonder, perhaps, that these models are also offered at heavily discounted prices right now. Higher range for the money helps to push prices down. Today, range matters most – and soon so will charging times.
Volkswagen is serious
The Volkswagen Group has announced that they are going "all in" for battery technology and are undoubtedly betting long-term. Two factors are critical for the spread of electric cars: Limited production capacity for batteries worldwide, - and the development of charging points. The rest of the world has a long way to go to reach Norway's level.
Own battery production
Volkswagen has entered into a partnership with Northvolt to develop a factory for the production of batteries in Salzgitter, approximately 3-4 km southwest of Wolfsburg. Production is planned to start at the turn of the year towards 2024. Having control over battery production is of course primarily about ensuring access to batteries for car production, but also about offering environmentally friendly production and the “right” battery technology, including by reducing the use of cobalt.
Charging network
No one has yet matched Tesla's worldwide charging network. The Volkswagen Group is joining forces with other carmakers to develop Ionity , its own charging network that EV drivers can subscribe to. In Norway, Ionity's charging stations are located at the Cirkle K stations. I assume they will offer the 125 KW fast chargers that ID.3 owners need.
The hunt for Bobla's successor
We all know the story of the Volkswagen Beetle and the Golf – two of the world's biggest car successes. But the Golf didn't just appear like that. Already in the early 60s, Volkswagen thought it was time to replace the Beetle with something more modern. Then the Type 3 appeared. The Type 3 was to come after the Beetle and the Volkswagen Bus, – both great successes. The Type 3 lived in the shadow of the Beetle for many years without becoming a super-hit. However, the Wankel technology could have been. When the Volkswagen Group bought NSU, they got access to Wankel engines. Volkswagen took over a car model that they wanted to put a Wankel engine in and sell as the RO-70, or something like that. But the technology was not sufficiently developed for success. On the contrary. The RO-80 had already proven to be a small disaster. Therefore, the planned RO-70 got a petrol engine instead of a rotary engine. The model was launched as the K70 (K for Kolben). Quite alright cars, but never really caught on. Success would only come a few years later – in the form of the Golf 1.
- Volkswagen's third attempt.
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