new ev owner

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

knotcher

***
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Messages
14
i've had my 2016 eGolf SEL for just 5 days, but i already have some questions. i thought i'd put them all in a thread and see if anyone has answers.

I’ve been reading how some feel it’s more efficient to drive in D0 and coast more. If it’s more efficient to just drive in D0, why did VW go to the trouble of including D1,2,3,B?

I see some getting 6+ mi/kwh when I’m only getting 3-4. What’s up with that? Even if I’m doing 45pmh on flat road and looking at my instantaneous mi/kwh I don’t get 6 mi/kwh.

My charger locks regardless if the car is locked. I always have to unlock the car to remove the charger. Is this normal?

I always only get a projected range of 77mi on a full charge at my house (stage 1), but have seen 80+ if I use a my friends stage 2. Is this normal?

Is there no way to save the driving mode or recuperation setting so you don’t have to set it every time?

If I put my go pedal to the floor, I can feel a “step down” for the last half inch or so…is this normal?
 
knotcher said:
i've had my 2016 eGolf SEL for just 5 days, but i already have some questions. i thought i'd put them all in a thread and see if anyone has answers.

I’ve been reading how some feel it’s more efficient to drive in D0 and coast more. If it’s more efficient to just drive in D0, why did VW go to the trouble of including D1,2,3,B?

It's not so much they 'went to the trouble of' for efficiencies sake, but to give the driver some options about regen levels.

I see some getting 6+ mi/kwh when I’m only getting 3-4. What’s up with that? Even if I’m doing 45pmh on flat road and looking at my instantaneous mi/kwh I don’t get 6 mi/kwh.

Don't listen to that guy - he's probably the most annoying driver on the road. Most people get the same as you're getting.

My charger locks regardless if the car is locked. I always have to unlock the car to remove the charger. Is this normal?

Pretty much, yeah - you'll get used to it. And btw, if you still have your little kit bag in the trunk in the area where the spare would be, there's a small screwdriver in there you may end up using someday to push the charger lock pin in when it won't release at all.

I always only get a projected range of 77mi on a full charge at my house (stage 1), but have seen 80+ if I use a my friends stage 2. Is this normal?

The GOM projects range based upon the efficiency you achieved last time you drove. I drive mostly downhill to work, and uphill to get home. My GOM reads high at work and low at home.

Is there no way to save the driving mode or recuperation setting so you don’t have to set it every time?

Not that anyone has ever posted, no.

If I put my go pedal to the floor, I can feel a “step down” for the last half inch or so…is this normal?

Yes, yes it is. I think it's VW's way of saying - "Hey, are you sure you want to do this?" :D

Enjoy the car - you'll get used to these little quirks, which really aren't that bad. I'm still driving my 2015 and love it. It's a great car.
 
wow, thanks for that quick reply and for all the answers. so far i'm loving the car. i'm still experiencing a bit of "range anxiety" every time i go out to run errands, but i'm sure i'll get over that.
 
another question.

i've seen that some suggest only charging to 80% to save battery life. is this true? how do i set this?
 
Spektre did a good job answering your questions, but I'll add my 2 cents, too.

1. I like all the driving options. I typically use B around town (~35 mph or less) and D1 on the highway (no traffic) or D2 with traffic that still moves but may slow down occasionally. I almost never use D or D3, though I have used D3 driving down a mountain. D is the experience of driving a gas car, and not to my taste.

2. I rarely see 6 mi/kWh but getting over 5 is not hard in the fall and spring (and much of summer) in the SF Bay Area since driving locally, I will not have the A/C or heat turned on and almost always drive in Eco mode. If you do a lot of highway driving, you will not see over 5 mi/kWh but low 4's is possible.

3. Yes, the J1772 plug will always lock into the vehicle inlet, unless the plug has a broken locking lever, and then you need to be very sure that charging is not active when you remove the plug because VW did not properly implement the J1772 communication protocol and you'll get a spark if you pull out the plug while the car is still charging with a broken plug lock lever. Yes, you always need to unlock the car to get the plug to release. On the 2016, I think you have about 5 seconds to remove the plug before the lock re-engages. On the 2017 and later cars, there is a 30 second delay. Also, I have found at many public stations to get DCFC to work, I need to lock the car prior after inserting the DCFC plug. If only the e-Golf had Plug&Charge....

4. GOM is not influenced by either L1 or L2 charging, but is influenced by how you recently operated the car (heat on or off, high speed vs low speed, etc.).

5. There is no way to save drive mode or regen mode - I agree it's a pain, but I am used to it after driving an e-Golf for 6 years.

6. The detent you found at the bottom of the accelerator travel is there for those time you need "maximum warp". If you drive in Normal, then I don't believe the detent does anything, but if the car is in Eco or Eco+, pressing to the detent gives you the full power output of the motor. In my car, in Eco mode, the motor puts out 85 kW but 100 kW when the detent is pressed. Not sure about your car absolute numbers - you'll need to look it up.

7. Yes, setting battery SoC to 80% routinely will prolong the battery life. Charge to 100% for long trips. Press the Car button on the center display and then go into the e-Manager to create a charge profile where you can set maximum charge %.
 
Thanks for all the useful information - I just recently purchased a 2017 SEL, and have a couple of general questions:

Are there any "must have" apps to download on Apple or Android (I use both, but mainly Android)?

The previous owner installed a trailer hitch, probably for a bike rack - would the extra weight affect mileage?
 
Must have apps for EV driving using Carplay (I do not have android):

Plugshare
Chargepoint
ABRP (need to pay to get carplay to work, I believe)

To understand more detail about car:
OBDEleven (needs OBDEleven OBDII dongle)
CarScanner (uses any cheapo OBDII dongle)

Non-Carplay apps:
EVgo
Electrify America

Maybe:
PowerFlex
Greenlots

I doubt hitch weight will matter. Have fun! I wish I had the SEL headlights - they are amazing.
 
Back
Top