10 Things You Need To Know About The 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf

Electric cars are no longer the novelties they once were, and proof positive of that fact is the existence of the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf. The Volkswagen e-Golf is the very first all-electric car to be offered by the German brand in the United States, and more importantly, it's one that carries forward many of the positive aspects of the Golf hatchback platform on which it is built. Riding on the same redesigned chassis as the rest of the 2015 Golf line-up, the Volkswagen e-Golf is a thoroughly modern automobile that just happens to be motivated by a battery pack instead of gasoline.

Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf

The 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf has been given an efficiency rating of 116 MPGe by the EPA. If you're not familiar with MPGe, here's a quick explanation: MPGe stands for 'miles per gallon equivalent,' with one MPGe referring to distance a vehicle travels under electrical power using the same amount of energy contained in a single gallon gasoline. It essentially treats a gallon of gas as a unit of energy storage, allowing for a more accurate comparison of the energy use between electric and traditional internal combustion vehicles. With a rating of 116 MPGe, the Volkswagen e-Golf sits mid-pack in comparison to competing models like the BMW i3, the Tesla Model S, and the Nissan LEAF.

MPGe doesn't necessarily translate directly into how far you can go on a fully charged battery in the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf - at least without performing some elaborate math - which is why the EPA also provides a range estimate for every electric automobile on the market. For the Volkswagen e-Golf, the official figure from the government body is 83 miles, but with careful driving Volkswagen claims that owners will be able to squeeze up to 90 miles out of a single charge; not quite Tesla numbers, but right in keeping with other electric compact hatchbacks.

Driving the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf on a daily basis certainly won't be a struggle thanks to the generous amount of torque produced by its electric engine. The Volkswagen e-Golf offers 199 lb-ft of torque as soon as the accelerator is pushed, since electric motors don't need to 'rev up' to deliver the juice, and this allows the hatch to feel lively off of the line. Although its torque is a near-match for the base Golf's gasoline engine output, its horsepower falls about 55 ponies short, checking in at 115. This means that while initial pull is good from a stop the e-Golf runs out of breath above 30-mph, requiring a modest 10.4 seconds to hit 60-mph from a standing start - still faster than the Nissan Leaf, but slower than its gas-powered sibling.

The 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf features the latest in lithium-ion battery technology, which gives it an advantage when it comes to charging options. With a total capacity of 24.3 kWh, the Volkswagen e-Golf's battery is composed of 264 individual cells and is liquid cooled, which helps keep range consistent regardless of the outside temperature. In addition to the charging that takes place under braking (using its regenerative system), the e-Golf's 7.2 kilowatt onboard charger is optimized for use with a 240-volt optional wall charger, which must be purchased from Volkswagen. This particular charging system cuts the time required to fill the battery to just four hours, while using a public fast-charging station will give the e-Golf an 80 percent charge in a very quick 30 minutes.

Helping to tailor the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf's driving experience to best suit the needs of the owner are three available driving modes. Normal mode gives pilots full access to the lithium-ion battery pack's resources, providing the most robust acceleration and the best simulation of being behind the wheel of a traditional gas-powered car. Slipping into Eco mode drops not just the output of the Volkswagen e-Golf's electric motor to 94 horses and 162 lb-ft of twist but also its top speed, from 87-mph to 72-mph. Eco mode further re-tunes the climate control system to better manage air conditioning and reduce the drain on the battery. Going to Eco+ is even more extreme, as it lops another 22 horses and 33 lb-ft of twist from the motor while limiting drivers to a city-friendly 56-mph. All of this is done in the name of extracting the most range possible out of a fully-charged battery.

The 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf drives very similar, but not identically, to the entry-level gas-only edition of the hatchback. This isn't just a function of the Volkswagen e-Golf's lower power output, but also its higher curb weight. The battery pack found inside the e-Golf weighs nearly 700 lbs, which is close to a quarter of the total mass of the vehicle, and this causes the electric Volkswagen to tip the scales at over 350 lbs heavier than the entry-level Golf. The weight is most felt while cornering, as the e-Golf is confident, but not as precise as the gas version when the road starts to get twisty.

With such a heavy weight penalty associated with the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf's battery, one would also assume that it would also intrude significantly into the passenger compartment due to its size. This isn’t the case, as the four-door Volkswagen e-Golf's engineers went to great lengths to stuff the battery pack into every available nook and cranny so as to not lose more than 10 percent of cargo volume compared to the gas-only Golf. The e-Golf's battery can be found integrated into the floor of the automobile in addition to under each seating position so as to keep the hatchback's center of gravity as low as possible. It also means that the electric Golf maintains over 45 cubic feet of total cargo space with the rear seats folded forward, a near match for its entry-level equivalent.

All versions of the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf come exclusively in SEL trim. This means that compared to other electric compact cars on the market, the Volkswagen e-Golf features an impressive level of standard equipment, including heated from seats, a rearview camera, keyless entry, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED lights throughout the cabin, LED daytime running lights, dual automatic climate control, a navigation system, an upgraded audio system, and a sunroof. It also offers 16-inch rims, Bluetooth connectivity, imitation leather upholstery, satellite radio, and a touchscreen interface for accessing various vehicle systems.

As with most electric automakers, Volkswagen has elected to single out the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf for special treatment when it comes to styling. Although the Volkswagen e-Golf maintains the same general shape and styling cues embodied by all iterations of the redesigned Golf, it also gains a few telltale flourishes that identify it as an electric automobile. Most obvious are the e-Golf's C-shaped LED running lights, which draw attention to the electrons coursing through them, but the vehicle also features aero-friendly wheels, a somewhat different grille, and the use of the color blue to denote its all-electric status.

Electric cars have yet to come down to the same price point as their gas-powered entry-level equivalents, which is in part why the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf offers so much standard gear to compensate buyers willing to shell out the extra bucks.  If you want to park the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf in your driveway you'll have to fork out $35,445, which is over $8,000 more than what a similarly-equipped four-door Golf SEL will set you back.  Depending on where you live you may qualify for a state tax credit intended to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, and there is also a $7,500 federal tax credit available along the same lines to help cushion the blow of purchasing the e-Golf.