eco+ - Terje's cars

The blue stripe in the grill is the e-Golf's hallmark.

E-Golf a fun car to drive, both because it is an electric car but also because it is a Golf.

Look-and-feel

Definitely a Golf, I thought as I sat down. The only difference I immediately noted was that the tachometer had been replaced with an instrument for charging and consumption. Otherwise, there are a number of small details that spin on the "blueline" theme, such as a blue line in the grill, a blue luminous entry strip and blue threads in the seat cover, in the steering wheel and gear lever cuff. I like the special daytime running lights that are also visible from the side. The E-Golf is well equipped in the standard version with, among other things, navigation, a leather steering wheel and interior decoration features. The test car also had automatically retractable mirrors, dark windows from the B-pillar and front and rear parking sensors.

The passenger commented that the seats seemed flat and simple, - and that the sound on the radio seemed a bit flimsy. It could of course have something to do with the fact that she had just before driven in a more luxurious car. The E-Golf is not premium, but both front seats had height adjustment, lumbar support and heated seats. No reason to complain.

Driving pleasure

You start it like a regular Golf with automatic transmission. One foot on the brake, turn the ignition key, release the handbrake, put the car in "drive" and drive. The E-Golf is very easy to drive. Since electric motors have a flat torque curve, it pulls completely from standstill. Acceleration is almost imperceptible and with an absence of engine noise.

You can drive in three programs - "Normal", "Eco" and "Eco+". In "Normal" you get 115 horsepower, torque like a diesel and a top speed of 140 km/h. That's more than enough. The extra weight that electric operation entails is not a deterrent. The E-Golf weighs the same as the Golf Alltrack station wagon. It seems that Volkswagen has found a favorable weight distribution, because the e-Golf sits well in the corners, - even when I make a lane change in the middle. It also feels like the car is somewhat lowered compared to the standard Golf.

If you drive in "Eco" mode, you get the best between range and performance - and a good portion of driving pleasure. In "Eco+" you notice that the engine pulls less, and you get lower performance on the cooling system, but it is completely unproblematic to follow road traffic, as long as it stays below "Eco+'s" top speed limit of 90 km/h. It is true that the range is increased by a few kilometres, but the driving pleasure is reduced. I don't think I can ever get comfortable with the engine cutting above certain speeds.

While driving, you can create an artificial engine brake by tilting the gear lever to the left 1-3 times while it is in "Drive". Energy is then created which charges the battery (recuperation). This is a nice function to use when the road slopes downhill and you actually need the engine brake. In the normal position, you have no engine brake at all, and may end up using the ordinary brakes a disproportionate amount, especially if cars in front brake on the gears. Of course, energy is recovered when you use the ordinary brakes as well.

e-golf-recovery-level

I have not been able to find out how much the artificial engine brake was able to add in increased energy. I drove a stretch of exactly 8 miles from Oslo over Sollihøgda to Hole, and from there down the Lierdalen to Kjellstad and home via the Lierbakkene. In a temperature of 14-15 degrees and a dry road surface, the car's range indicator matched surprisingly well. It told me before departure that the range was 153 kilometers on departure and 71 on arrival. For a long time I was very well connected, but on the way up the Lierbakkene at a brisk speed, 20 kilometers "disappeared" without a trace.

Comfort

In electric cars such as the e-Golf, you get a feeling of comfort during acceleration, for example when driving out of an intersection. Almost silently and with a steady pull from the start, the car gets up to speed almost imperceptibly. No jerking, no high revs, just like a luxury limousine.

The absence of engine noise is a comfort plus, but what little is left of sound, namely the rumbling of the road, can be quite sleep-inducing. I would therefore recommend a good sound system. The road noise was not intrusive, but present to a high degree.

In fine September weather, it was not possible to properly test either the air conditioning or the heating system. Even if the electric car can produce a perfectly good interior climate, I would hesitate to make full use of it for fear of having the range cut short. I think that when using an electric car, I would tolerate a couple of degrees warmer or colder than I would in a normal car.

Place

At first glance, the luggage space in the e-Golf seemed as large as in the standard Golf. On paper, however, about 40 liters are missing. No more. One can praise Volkswagen's engineers for the way they have managed to place the batteries. The E-Golf not only has slightly less luggage capacity than the standard Golf, but you also lose 100-150 kg of payload.

Safety

According to NCAP, electric cars are as safe as other cars when it comes to passive safety, i.e. the damage that occurs in collisions. The Golf has good and safe driving characteristics, so does the e-Golf. I would particularly like to highlight the braking properties.

Another thing worth mentioning about the e-Golf is that it has adaptive cruise control as standard. You can see the sensor in the lower air intake in the front.

Economy

Electric cars are good economics at the moment, partly because of low tax rates, high demand for used ones, and - not least - the fact that you can fill the batteries at home for a couple of tenners. The base price of 258 includes everything you need. I can't immediately point to anything man mustn't have in addition. I suspect that the importer has put a lot of effort into equipment because electric cars are, as you know, duty-free. The test car's list price is 269. Not bad either.

On the downside, there is perhaps the danger that new advances, especially with regard to battery technology, could reduce demand for yesterday's electric cars.