Volkswagen Improves The E-Golf

Admittedly, the Volkswagen e-Golf has been a bit of a letdown. VW has announced it’s making big improvements to the EV, all in hopes you forget about that little, brief diesel emissions scandal.

The 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf is packing a completely new lithium-ion battery, and that means more energy and better range. The battery capacity is 35.8 kWh, which is a sizable gain from the previous 24.2 kWh. That helps with a 125-mile range, which is more practical than the previous 83 miles. Still, with more EVs pushing above 200 miles, Volkswagen needs to get to work if it wants to be taken seriously in this field.

On SE and SEL Premium models, you’ll get a 7.2 kW onboard charger. Using that, you can plug into a 240-volt charging station and fill up the battery in under 6 hours. That’s nothing to scream about, but it is an improvement. If you have access to DC Fast Charging, you can hit 80 percent fill for the battery in about an hour. Again, that’s not too wonderful.

The EPA, which is still around for the time being, estimates the 2017 e-Golf gets 126 MPGe in the city, or 111 MPGe on the highway. Not only is the car more efficient, it’s more powerful. VW says the 100-kWh motor puts out 134 horsepower and 214 lb.-ft. of torque. Acceleration from 0 to 60 takes 9.6 seconds, so you’re not going to win many races.

Expect the 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf to hit the market this Spring.