VW of the future: This is what the first electric Golf feels like

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This is what the first electric Golf feels like

VW of the future: This is what the first electric Golf feels like-golf

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The E-Golf is indistinguishable from a normal one. Only the writing ‘blue-e-motion’ on the flank indicates that he is a clean man.

Source: VW

VW of the future: This is what the first electric Golf feels like-future

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Its torque of 270 Newton meters enables a sprint from 0 to 100 km / h in 11.8 seconds. The E-Golf also makes intermediate sprints nimble and agile.

Source: VW

VW of the future: This is what the first electric Golf feels like-this

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Only when cornering is this noticeable due to the batteries being a good 200 kilos higher weight than a normal Golf.

Source: VW

VW of the future: This is what the first electric Golf feels like-first

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A look under the bonnet: the electric drive no longer has much in common with the block of an internal combustion engine.

Source: VW

VW of the future: This is what the first electric Golf feels like-future

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The current flow of energy is shown by the kW meter (left), which was installed instead of a rev counter. The range is displayed in the middle.

Source: VW

As of 2013, Germans’ favorite car will also be electric. The test with a prototype shows whether the e-Golf has what it takes to become a bestseller.

Nand the cat is out of the bag. After long reluctance, VW admits that electric vehicles will play a not insignificant role in future road traffic. In 2013, the first series production cars will be on the road. Sven Patuschka, Head of Electrical and Electronics Development at VW, and his team have already configured a Golf prototype with a high level of everyday use. The test vehicle has a whole range of clever ideas that guarantee efficiency and driving pleasure in electric mobility. The 110 hp electric motor is supposed to make the four-door car suitable for everyday use 135 km / h and about 150 kilometers on one battery charge.

The weakest link in the energy chain is still the battery. It has to be lithium-ion batteries in order to provide the current optimum of storage capacity. In the Golf blue-e-motion, the memory is made up of 180 individual cells, which together result in a capacity of 26.5 kilowatt hours. They are housed under the back seat and in what was once known as the transmission tunnel.

The battery weighs 315 kilograms, which makes the electric Golf 1,545 kilograms, 205 kilograms more than a Golf Blue Motion with a diesel engine. The extra weight is hardly noticeable when accelerating. 270 Newton meters of torque are available from a standing start. This enables a sprint from 0 to 100 km / h in 11.8 seconds, the short intermediate sprint is also nimble and gives the Golf a good dose of agility. The load only becomes a burden when cornering, then the electric car still looks a bit sluggish.

At 135 km / h the electronics put an end to acceleration, theoretically a top speed of around 170 km / h is possible. However, the use of energy for high speeds increases exponentially. So the speed is limited in order to achieve adequate ranges. When braking, the Golf recovers electricity via its electric motor. The aim is to achieve 40 percent recuperation.

In the prototype, recovery in three stages, which can be selected using the switch buttons on the steering wheel, ensures driving fun. When braking into corners, this suggests a similar dynamic as when manually shifting down an internal combustion engine: A nice way to equip the electric car with a few emotions. There is also a driving program that allows "sailing", a decoupling of the drive and wheels, which enables energy-free, unbraked coasting, for example before traffic lights. The current flow of energy is shown by the kW meter, which was installed instead of a rev counter, and the display of the navigation system in the center console.

The raised floor in the trunk reduces the transport volume of the E-Golf by 38 to 237 liters, which is still sufficient for everyday use. On the other hand, charging the battery would have to be planned more extensively. “Charging technologies are not a differentiating factor between manufacturers and must therefore be standardized as much as possible,” says Sven Patuschka. The Golf blue-e-motion therefore has two charging systems. One works with normal household alternating current and takes about eight hours to charge the battery to 80 percent of its capacity. The other requires 400 volts three-phase current and reaches the 80 percent mark in just 30 minutes.

VW is assuming that the prices for lithium-ion batteries will be reduced by about half to less than 200 euros per kilowatt hour in the next four to five years. Further progress can only be expected from battery types such as metal-air batteries, which are currently only being researched as laboratory samples. You should also get by with shorter loading times. Until then, the rule that becomes the crux of electromobility applies: a nozzle for diesel fuel delivers up to 50 liters per minute, which gives a range of around 1000 kilometers. When charging a battery, 60 seconds are enough for just one kilometer.

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