Some questions regarding the e-Golf

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edsHopingForanEV

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May 18, 2015
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Hello e-Golf owners!

I'm currently shopping around for an EV and I had a few questions regarding the VW e-Golf. I found this forum the other day and was hoping I could get some answers from some of the folks who own/lease. There's only so much a YouTube review can tell you, although this one has some great coverage and goes through a lot of the details about the car.

My situation:

I'm a resident of the Bay Area in CA and as some of you know, traffic is a nightmare at times, depending on the time of day. My commute to work is about 21 miles one-way, using the 880 to the Dumbarton Bridge to the 101. I currently ride a motorcycle to take advantage of the commuter lane and when traffic is at a stand still, I can split lanes. This is a fantastic advantage. I've put just under 20,000 miles on my bike since I bought it 2 years ago. However, now, I worry about road exposure and honestly, traffic is only getting worse with more and more people moving into the Bay Area. What used to take 25-30 minutes 2 years ago, now takes 35-40 minutes. So, I want a safer way to get to work while taking advantage of the commuter lane via an EV or a plug-in hybrid. I want an EV that doesn't scream "Hey! I'm an EV, look at meeeeeee!!!" and I've always admired the look of a VW Golf hatchback. The Leaf, the Spark, the Prius and the Fiat all look so bizarre to me. That's not to say they're bad cars. They've all got their pros and cons, but I'd rather have an EV that doesn't look like a stereotypical EV. It's the reason why the Tesla is so attractive (albeit way too expensive for me) and also why I'm considering the Ford Focus EV. So, lemme get to my questions!

1. My commute to work is just over 42 miles a day, call it 45-50 miles when you add in the occasional run to lunch and stop at the grocery store on the way home. Knowing most EV's batteries are happiest at %50-%80 charge, would the e-Golf be able to handle that kind of mileage, or will I be plagued by range anxiety on a daily basis?

2. I can currently charge at work using our supplied Level 2 chargers, but I've also got a 110 volt outlet near my carport. I've seen charging estimates on 110 volt outlets range from 20 to 26 hours according to a few reviewers on-line, but that's from an empty charge to full. Could I realistically maintain 80% charge using a 110 volt outlet at home, considering I'd be driving every day of the week and giving the car about 13 hours of charge total per night? Is the charging rate constant or does it slow down as it gets closer to %100, like the Tesla? From the Tesla website:
Charging from 10% to 80% is quick and typically provides ample range to travel between most Superchargers. Charging from 80% to 100% doubles the charge time because the car must reduce current to top off cells. Actual charge times may vary.
Click to expand...

3. As far as bluetooth connectivity, has anyone had any experience using a Windows Phone with their e-Golf? I'm certain there aren't any connectors that will make it possible to hardwire my phone to the car, but that's not a big deal to me. I'd just be happy connecting via bluetooth and streaming my Spotify list. If not, I've got a 128 gig microSD card I can drop all my music onto and use that for tunes. As a side note, the thought of having the CD changer/microSD card reader in the glovebox is very new to me, but it makes a lot of sense if you're living in an area where break-ins are a common problem. The lack of USB ports is a downer though.

4. Is navigation included in the base model? Or is that apart of CarNet? CarNet is an additional $200.00 a year? Having a Windows Phone makes this impossible to really take advantage of, considering there aren't any plans that I've heard of to port the app to WP. What are the most common advantages of CarNet?

That's it for now! Thanks in advance for your help! P.S. Riding a motorcycle in the rain is not fun, no matter how many bike enthusiasts tell you otherwise. Don't believe them.
 
First off, you may want to consider a lease rather than buying the car. In three years, battery range is sure to be greater than the 84 that the eGolf has now. That way you can also not worry about charging your battery in the 50-80% range as the battery will certainly last as long as your lease. (Even so, charging your battery to 80% at work should get you back and forth across the bridge no problem).

Also, depending where you live can greatly affect your range. I live up in the Oakland hills and the 2-3 mile drive up the hill every day takes about 12 miles off of my range (I make some of it up by going back down the hill, but certainly not everything).

Navigation is not part of Car-Net (although Car-Net relies on navigation). If you don't subscribe to car-net, you can still use your nav system. However, you may want to consider using Google maps with your phone bluetooth connected, it is way more easy to use and had better navigation instructions.
 
Welcome to the forum. All reasonable questions. I think the eGolf would suit you quite well. IF you have ready access to charging at work, well, that's fantastic. A Level 2 charger would have you topped off in a few hours. I wouldn't worry much about what charge level you are at most of the time. Like was said above, lease it for 3 years, wait for the next advancements in battery tech, then think about the next toy. In my area back east, getting the HOV permit takes some time (1-2 months), so that might be a disappointing situation for a while. But since you already have the motorcycle, not terrible.

As for bluetooth streaming: this is the best system/car that I've seen for seamless integration of the bluetooth audio. I do Spotify as well, and man this car just knows how to do it so well. My wife and I can even pair up one after another and everything is just seamless. It connects up within seconds of starting the car and if you don't already default to the 'media' setting then it's just a simple button press. It picks up on my Spotify if that was the last thing I played in the car as well, so I don't have to flip through stuff on the phone to get it going. I do have an iPhone, but it worked well with a buddy's Samsung last week. This is probably my favorite feature on the car. Plus you can toggle through your playlist with a simple button press as well on the console (don't have to mess with the phone hardly at all).

Cheers,
Tim
 
I'll answer one of your questions that I have the most knowledge of.

My wife commute is similar to yours ~21 miles each way, we've had the car for 3 weeks and charge on a 110 outlet at home. We start the charger at 11 every night and by the time she leaves at 7am the battery is back to full. We're starting at 11pm as when our PG&E rate change goes into effect (affect? I never get it right) that's when the cheaper rate starts so we're trying to emulate what we will be doing in the long run.

We got the SEL and everything is included with that so navigation is there but it's not very good, slow and has some bothersome quirks such as talking too much ;-)

We really like the car and I love how zippy it is, we have a 2005 Prius so I knew electric has torque right off the bat but the Golf really shows it off.

We bought at Oakland VW and if you get a car off the lot they have the HOV stickers for it at the dealership. We wanted the Night Blue with Black interior and they had to get it from another dealer so we're waiting for our HOV stickers.

Hope this helps some,
Kevin


edsHopingForanEV said:
Hello e-Golf owners!

I'm currently shopping around for an EV and I had a few questions regarding the VW e-Golf. I found this forum the other day and was hoping I could get some answers from some of the folks who own/lease. There's only so much a YouTube review can tell you, although this one has some great coverage and goes through a lot of the details about the car.

My situation:

I'm a resident of the Bay Area in CA and as some of you know, traffic is a nightmare at times, depending on the time of day. My commute to work is about 21 miles one-way, using the 880 to the Dumbarton Bridge to the 101. I currently ride a motorcycle to take advantage of the commuter lane and when traffic is at a stand still, I can split lanes. This is a fantastic advantage. I've put just under 20,000 miles on my bike since I bought it 2 years ago. However, now, I worry about road exposure and honestly, traffic is only getting worse with more and more people moving into the Bay Area. What used to take 25-30 minutes 2 years ago, now takes 35-40 minutes. So, I want a safer way to get to work while taking advantage of the commuter lane via an EV or a plug-in hybrid. I want an EV that doesn't scream "Hey! I'm an EV, look at meeeeeee!!!" and I've always admired the look of a VW Golf hatchback. The Leaf, the Spark, the Prius and the Fiat all look so bizarre to me. That's not to say they're bad cars. They've all got their pros and cons, but I'd rather have an EV that doesn't look like a stereotypical EV. It's the reason why the Tesla is so attractive (albeit way too expensive for me) and also why I'm considering the Ford Focus EV. So, lemme get to my questions!

1. My commute to work is just over 42 miles a day, call it 45-50 miles when you add in the occasional run to lunch and stop at the grocery store on the way home. Knowing most EV's batteries are happiest at %50-%80 charge, would the e-Golf be able to handle that kind of mileage, or will I be plagued by range anxiety on a daily basis?

2. I can currently charge at work using our supplied Level 2 chargers, but I've also got a 110 volt outlet near my carport. I've seen charging estimates on 110 volt outlets range from 20 to 26 hours according to a few reviewers on-line, but that's from an empty charge to full. Could I realistically maintain 80% charge using a 110 volt outlet at home, considering I'd be driving every day of the week and giving the car about 13 hours of charge total per night? Is the charging rate constant or does it slow down as it gets closer to %100, like the Tesla? From the Tesla website:
Charging from 10% to 80% is quick and typically provides ample range to travel between most Superchargers. Charging from 80% to 100% doubles the charge time because the car must reduce current to top off cells. Actual charge times may vary.
Click to expand...

3. As far as bluetooth connectivity, has anyone had any experience using a Windows Phone with their e-Golf? I'm certain there aren't any connectors that will make it possible to hardwire my phone to the car, but that's not a big deal to me. I'd just be happy connecting via bluetooth and streaming my Spotify list. If not, I've got a 128 gig microSD card I can drop all my music onto and use that for tunes. As a side note, the thought of having the CD changer/microSD card reader in the glovebox is very new to me, but it makes a lot of sense if you're living in an area where break-ins are a common problem. The lack of USB ports is a downer though.

4. Is navigation included in the base model? Or is that apart of CarNet? CarNet is an additional $200.00 a year? Having a Windows Phone makes this impossible to really take advantage of, considering there aren't any plans that I've heard of to port the app to WP. What are the most common advantages of CarNet?

That's it for now! Thanks in advance for your help! P.S. Riding a motorcycle in the rain is not fun, no matter how many bike enthusiasts tell you otherwise. Don't believe them.
Click to expand...
 
I think the e-Golf will work well for you and I think it's better than the Focus Electric. If you really do put 50 miles on every work day, then you will go over the 10,000 mile per year lease. I would go for 15,000 per year in your situation, but I don't know how much more it will cost.

If you have access to charging at work, then 120V charging at home will suffice. I don't know how much contention there is for your workplace charging stations, but at many Bay Area workplaces, you can't be guaranteed to get a charge every day. Depending on your actual mileage and how many hours you plug in at home, you will at least be able to make it back to work the next day if you were't able to charge at work. In addition, there is a free SAE Combo fast charger at the VW Research Lab in Belmont if you find you don't have enough charge to make it home.

VW has a Bluetooth compatibility checker here: http://knowyourvw.com/bluetooth/
There are Windows phones listed as fully compatible with 2015 Golf MIB. They don't have e-Golf specifically listed though.

Regarding charging speed - it's only an issue when you are fast charging. Charging at 240V 30A there is probably very little if any tapering. Certainly there is no tapering on 120V because the power is so low.
 
My wife commute is similar to yours ~21 miles each way, we've had the car for 3 weeks and charge on a 110 outlet at home. We start the charger at 11 every night and by the time she leaves at 7am the battery is back to full.
Click to expand...

Could you elaborate on your driving/charge amount? To confirm: Your e-Golf is 100% charged every night by the time your wife wakes up to go to work. She drives her 42 or so miles that day, comes home with around 38 miles left and, using a 110 volt outlet, charge for 8 hours and it's back to 100%? Honestly, this is too good to be true! Please tell me it's true! haha

VW has a Bluetooth compatibility checker here: http://knowyourvw.com/bluetooth/
There are Windows phones listed as fully compatible with 2015 Golf MIB. They don't have e-Golf specifically listed though.
Click to expand...

My phone is compatible with the MIB! Sweet. I assume the e-Golf uses the same bluetooth tech as the regular Golf?
 
I've had the e-Golf for only a few weeks and I was in a similar situation as you not wanting an EV that screams "look i'm from the future". After driving a few models the e-Golf felt by far the most sophisticated and had the best handing. Didn't compare to Tesla, as it was out of my price range. But the Golf was more fun to drive than the i3. I never test drove the Focus, but I did look at it at a dealership and was disappointed with the interior space and the design of the interior. The Golf looks much better, and the trunk is actually quite roomy! Compare that to the Focus where they stuck the entire battery in the trunk and there is very little space left for stuff.

My commute is about 25 mi each way on the 405, so getting the stickers is a big deal for me. Still have not gotten them yet after a few weeks after I applied. The range for what you will drive should be quite enough. I don't see any problem getting 80 miles right now. I charge it at work as well on a level 2 charger and I can get back home and back to work without even having to charge at home. However, I rather play it safe than sorry, so I sometimes charge it over night on my 110V outlet. Range is very dependent on how fast you drive. At 80 mph it's using quite a bit of juice. At slow speeds in stop and go traffic it's not bad. So it's a bit opposite of how an ICE works. Also turning on the AC has an impact on the range. I have yet to see exactly how much as it hasn't been that hot yet in LA.

I think you'll be perfectly fine in terms of range. Worst case you may want to get a Level 2 charger for your home and the car will be charged in about 4hrs. With 110V it will take almost 4x as long, but even at 13hrs at home you should be fine as you shouldn't use up the entire charge on the way to and from work.
 
laegolfer said:
I've had the e-Golf for only a few weeks and I was in a similar situation as you not wanting an EV that screams "look i'm from the future". After driving a few models the e-Golf felt by far the most sophisticated and had the best handing. Didn't compare to Tesla, as it was out of my price range. But the Golf was more fun to drive than the i3. I never test drove the Focus, but I did look at it at a dealership and was disappointed with the interior space and the design of the interior. The Golf looks much better, and the trunk is actually quite roomy! Compare that to the Focus where they stuck the entire battery in the trunk and there is very little space left for stuff.

My commute is about 25 mi each way on the 405, so getting the stickers is a big deal for me. Still have not gotten them yet after a few weeks after I applied. The range for what you will drive should be quite enough. I don't see any problem getting 80 miles right now. I charge it at work as well on a level 2 charger and I can get back home and back to work without even having to charge at home. However, I rather play it safe than sorry, so I sometimes charge it over night on my 110V outlet. Range is very dependent on how fast you drive. At 80 mph it's using quite a bit of juice. At slow speeds in stop and go traffic it's not bad. So it's a bit opposite of how an ICE works. Also turning on the AC has an impact on the range. I have yet to see exactly how much as it hasn't been that hot yet in LA.

I think you'll be perfectly fine in terms of range. Worst case you may want to get a Level 2 charger for your home and the car will be charged in about 4hrs. With 110V it will take almost 4x as long, but even at 13hrs at home you should be fine as you shouldn't use up the entire charge on the way to and from work.
Click to expand...

Lots of good info and opinions there. I agree with the assessment of the eGolf relative other EVs in its price range: simply a much nicer car (a sporty one at that). We have a relatively new Mini, somewhat tricked out, and my wife and I actually compete to pull the VW out most days (granted we do mostly city driving, so one-pedal driving is a major draw). It's a fine auto that happens to be an EV.

As for AC use and battery drain, we have been in the hot/humid 80s/90s much of the past few weeks back here and I've been studying the range impacts. I'm a one-man furnace, so I have to run AC if it's over 75 out and in most cars I turn it up quite a bit. I find that with eGolf the AC seems especially efficient. I can set it on auto at 77/78 deg and it is a very, very comfortable temperature within a short period, even from a warm start. Overall, my estimate is that with moderate AC over a full charge, it will have about a 10 mile penalty. I gather that is similar to the heating effects also seen in winter.

Cheers,
Tim
 
I'm also in the east bay, commuting to the peninsula, often over dumbarton. I've only had the car for about 3 weeks, but I think it will suit your purposes. My roundtrip, without lunch trips, is a little over 60 miles.

I typically charge at work, and skip charging at home, recharging at work the next day. If I have extra trips during the day, then I'll charge at night when I get home. Since you don't need a full charge to get to work, then even if you get home on empty you'll be able to get enough charge even with the 110V charger to get to work. (and bad traffic, which is most of the time, means you'll have more charge left when you get home; I left work yesterday with 97miles estimated range, and arrived home 30 miles and over an hour later with 87 miles projected range).

I think there is a 12k-miles/year lease option, but I went for the 15k. (assuming 250 work days per year, at 50 miles per day you're already over 12k). Dealers will want to charge $30 to $40 more per month for the extra 5k miles, but you can negotiate down closer to $20/month.

I did opt for the additional wear and tear protection, which was a little over $1300 (about $35/month). From this forum, I can see I may have been able to get that lower. This seemed worth it for the cost of tire replacement at the end of the lease plus peace of mind on door dings, plus the option to end your lease a couple months early if you are close to your mileage limit. (this is my first lease, so I don't know what lease turn ins are like.)

David at Sunnyvale VW did give me what I think was a good deal, after doing lots of comparisons around. (Oakland VW probably gave the best deal by email, but their reviews are sketchy, and I didn't exactly trust they'd give me that if I came in.) Capitol VW in SJ was also offering about the same price, but less convenient for me. Sunnyvale also has the white HOV stickers already ordered, so you can use HOV lanes from day 1.

Although I liked the SEL, VW seems to give the dealers more incentive on the LE, and I couldn't justify the monthly price difference. And mainly I was trying to break even with my lease price compared to my monthly fuel/bridge bill.

Also, note that PG&E may not care what time you charge depending on your rate plan. (The biggest negatives i've seen are around CarNet and delayed charging, not including a few posts about big failures, which vw seems to be covering).
 
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