Missing inventory

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jaybird

***
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
Messages
11
Hi everyone,

Just joined, first post. I live in Phoenix and have had 2 Focus Electrics, the latter a 2017 that was just declared a total loss by the insurance company. My wife ran over something and it moved the entire subframe back as well as snapped the battery mounts off :cry: At $25k to replace the battery, they ain't fixin it, but the good news is I actually made some money on it and it's time for a new EV.

After a lot of research I'm set on the e-golf and would obviously prefer the 17 for the additional range. I've seen here that some have gotten them for ~$25k+tax before incentives. If I could do that, I'd buy today however, there's almost no inventory out there. I see a few in CA and NY (they don't sell in AZ). Curious why this is, and when we can expect more new inventory (I assume '18s since it's August already)

Appreciate any insights and hope to join the e-golf fam soon!
Jason

*EDIT: Found the answer, surprised it didn't show up in my research sooner. Either way, disappointed. I'll see if I can fanagle some deals on the last remaining new 17's or go with a used 16 SEL.

Maybe a better question is, what can someone realistically expect to pay for an SE given nationwide inventory is less than 10 cars it appears?
 
I would recommend you stay away from the 2015 models because charge timing settings are only available with a paid Car-net subscription. The 2016 and 2017 models allow you to set up charge timers, maximum percent charge, etc. from the car's touch screen. If you do buy a 2015, you should have the seller give you a hefty discount for being unable to pamper the battery - charging the battery to 100%, especially in hot climates, is a sure way to speed pack degradation - just read the owner's manual about high temperatures. Remember, the e-Golf pack has no active thermal management system, unlike the Focus EV's battery active liquid cooling system.

Also, there will be no 2018 e-Golf sold in the USA to private owners (one dealer told me all the 2018 e-Golfs have been sold for fleet use). I had this confirmed by two separate VW dealers. You can still get a 2017 e-Golf, as you mentioned. I asked dealers why they are still selling "new" 2017 e-Golfs in August 2018 and was told, that's what VW is providing them. VW has a strategy on selling zero emission vehicles and they aren't making that strategy public right now.

Good luck!
 
Best of luck to you, but chances of finding a 2017/2018 e-Golf anytime soon is slim to none. I gave up months ago and ended up with an i3 - a car that's total overkill but does meet all my needs.

Have you looked at the Leafs? Much better design than 1st generation and can't beat the 150+ mile range. There's a national offer right now for $3700 + $219/mo lease or 0% APR on purchase which is the same if not better than you'd get on an e-Golf or Focus. My girlfriend will be trying out my 2016 e-Golf for a couple months and if she needs something with more range, the Leaf would be at the top of my list.
 
f1geek said:
I would recommend you stay away from the 2015 models because charge timing settings are only available with a paid Car-net subscription. The 2016 and 2017 models allow you to set up charge timers, maximum percent charge, etc. from the car's touch screen. If you do buy a 2015, you should have the seller give you a hefty discount for being unable to pamper the battery - charging the battery to 100%, especially in hot climates, is a sure way to speed pack degradation - just read the owner's manual about high temperatures. Remember, the e-Golf pack has no active thermal management system, unlike the Focus EV's battery active liquid cooling system.

Also, there will be no 2018 e-Golf sold in the USA to private owners (one dealer told me all the 2018 e-Golfs have been sold for fleet use). I had this confirmed by two separate VW dealers. You can still get a 2017 e-Golf, as you mentioned. I asked dealers why they are still selling "new" 2017 e-Golfs in August 2018 and was told, that's what VW is providing them. VW has a strategy on selling zero emission vehicles and they aren't making that strategy public right now.

Good luck!

Appreciate all this great info! Backup plan is a used 15 or 16. Don't mean to get too far off topic but is what I'm reading/seeing generally true regarding range being more like 90-100miles on these driving somewhat normally? I swore I wouldn't go back to 76 like I had with the 14 Focus and 83 is cutting it close.
 
johnnylingo said:
Best of luck to you, but chances of finding a 2017/2018 e-Golf anytime soon is slim to none. I gave up months ago and ended up with an i3 - a car that's total overkill but does meet all my needs.

Have you looked at the Leafs? Much better design than 1st generation and can't beat the 150+ mile range. There's a national offer right now for $3700 + $219/mo lease or 0% APR on purchase which is the same if not better than you'd get on an e-Golf or Focus. My girlfriend will be trying out my 2016 e-Golf for a couple months and if she needs something with more range, the Leaf would be at the top of my list.


I'm learning that quickly. Appreciate the tips on the Leaf, and mechanically it's all there - but the aesthetics kill it for me. I'm sure I'll catch flack but for me, a car I own and pay for must be form and function. To each his own.
 
jaybird said:
I'm reading/seeing generally true regarding range being more like 90-100miles on these driving somewhat normally? I swore I wouldn't go back to 76 like I had with the 14 Focus and 83 is cutting it close.

Depends much on driving speed/style and temperature. Last week temps here were mild and traffic was bad on the highways so I took surface roads home and covered 50 miles on 1/2 battery. On the flip side the 2016 SEs don't have a heat pump, and I've experienced ranges as low as 60 miles when driving the highways during the holidays when there's no traffic. Using the heated seats helps bring it more to mid 70s, which is about what I get with moderate A/C use.

I test drove the Focus on a hot summer day and the guess-o-meter knocked 15 miles off the range when A/C was turned on. The e-Golf under similar conditions was more like 10. Can't really rely on the guess-o-meter as a source of truth, but does seem the e-Golf is more efficient than the Focus when it comes to climate control use.

FWIW the e-Golf is a very efficient EV. I've been averaging 4.3 mi/kWh lifetime which equates to 90 miles range. My brand new i3 is 3.6 despite its fancy carbon fiber frame and skinny tires. I get around 100 miles before the REx kicks in, despite the much larger battery. Go figure.
 
johnnylingo said:
jaybird said:
I'm reading/seeing generally true regarding range being more like 90-100miles on these driving somewhat normally? I swore I wouldn't go back to 76 like I had with the 14 Focus and 83 is cutting it close.

Depends much on driving speed/style and temperature. Last week temps here were mild and traffic was bad on the highways so I took surface roads home and covered 50 miles on 1/2 battery. On the flip side the 2016 SEs don't have a heat pump, and I've experienced ranges as low as 60 miles when driving the highways during the holidays when there's no traffic. Using the heated seats helps bring it more to mid 70s, which is about what I get with moderate A/C use.

I test drove the Focus on a hot summer day and the guess-o-meter knocked 15 miles off the range when A/C was turned on. The e-Golf under similar conditions was more like 10. Can't really rely on the guess-o-meter as a source of truth, but does seem the e-Golf is more efficient than the Focus when it comes to climate control use.

FWIW the e-Golf is a very efficient EV. I've been averaging 4.3 mi/kWh lifetime which equates to 90 miles range. My brand new i3 is 3.6 despite its fancy carbon fiber frame and skinny tires. I get around 100 miles before the REx kicks in, despite the much larger battery. Go figure.

Good info, thank you. Yes the Focus is not very efficient, which is another thing that drew me to the e-golf. Hard to pass up a 2017 Focus with 3k miles for $16,500 though! The search goes on.
 
johnnylingo said:
jaybird said:
I'm reading/seeing generally true regarding range being more like 90-100miles on these driving somewhat normally? I swore I wouldn't go back to 76 like I had with the 14 Focus and 83 is cutting it close.

Depends much on driving speed/style and temperature. Last week temps here were mild and traffic was bad on the highways so I took surface roads home and covered 50 miles on 1/2 battery. On the flip side the 2016 SEs don't have a heat pump, and I've experienced ranges as low as 60 miles when driving the highways during the holidays when there's no traffic. Using the heated seats helps bring it more to mid 70s, which is about what I get with moderate A/C use.

I test drove the Focus on a hot summer day and the guess-o-meter knocked 15 miles off the range when A/C was turned on. The e-Golf under similar conditions was more like 10. Can't really rely on the guess-o-meter as a source of truth, but does seem the e-Golf is more efficient than the Focus when it comes to climate control use.

FWIW the e-Golf is a very efficient EV. I've been averaging 4.3 mi/kWh lifetime which equates to 90 miles range. My brand new i3 is 3.6 despite its fancy carbon fiber frame and skinny tires. I get around 100 miles before the REx kicks in, despite the much larger battery. Go figure.

I drive Blvds and surface streets almost exclusively with my e-Golf, at 40 to 45 honest MPH. I'm at over 6 miles per kWh, sometimes as high as 6.6 miles per kWh. Keep my e-Golf off the freeways and highways, and use it for urban driving. Guess -O - Meter shows 118 miles of range, with the way I drive, with most features turned off, and window cracked. If I turn the A/C on, range drops about 12 to 15 miles, depends on how hot it is outside. We've had a lot of 100 to 106F days since July here.

Keep in mind, I am retired, and I am in no hurry, when I drive. I just try to maintain momentum, and use the regeneration and brakes as little as possible, to time all the lights green. If 83 miles range is cutting it close, don't even bother with an e-Golf. Get something else.

My 2015 is a May 2015 build, last month before they started 2016 production. It also, due to my driving habits, probably has the least amount of recharge cycles on it, per mile driven, of any 2015 or 2016 e-Golf you'll come across, used, because my lifetime Miles per kWh is so high. I've valued efficiency over all other performance measures, in my 2015 SEL. No need to see how fast it is off the line, or how wonderful it corners. It's nothing more than my grocery getter, and around town vehicle.... that's it. When I need more range, I take one of my VW TDI's that gets uber MPG's on diesel fuel.
 
My advice would be to avoid the E-Golf altogether in AZ. Liquid cooled thermal management is really a must-have there. If your heart is set on getting one, the 2016's would be my recommendation as they came with vastly improved infotainment - really a night and day difference with Android Auto and Apple Carplay. That's in addition to setting the charge parameters without having Carnet service.

Know that the price of the 2015's is going to drop very soon in CA (if not already), because all of the white HOV stickers will no longer have value as of 1/1/19. Definitely DO NOT OVERPAY! A lot of the 2016's were sold in 2017, so their stickers can be renewed and aren't in the same boat.
 
2016golfse said:
My advice would be to avoid the E-Golf altogether in AZ. Liquid cooled thermal management is really a must-have there. If your heart is set on getting one, the 2016's would be my recommendation as they came with vastly improved infotainment - really a night and day difference with Android Auto and Apple Carplay. That's in addition to setting the charge parameters without having Carnet service.

Know that the price of the 2015's is going to drop very soon in CA (if not already), because all of the white HOV stickers will no longer have value as of 1/1/19. Definitely DO NOT OVERPAY! A lot of the 2016's were sold in 2017, so their stickers can be renewed and aren't in the same boat.

Great advice, thank you! I've ruled out the 2015s as an option due to that info.

Thermal management - While it IS a concern of mine, is there any way to really measure it? Yes, 6 months of the year here it's wicked hot however the other 6 are ideal EV weather. And, I will not be fast charging it, mostly 120v (maybe 240) at home. The Focus fit my needs, but I was really looking forward to something a little more fun to drive and more purpose built (the storage alone in that thing is horrible)
 
jaybird said:
Great advice, thank you! I've ruled out the 2015s as an option due to that info.

Thermal management - While it IS a concern of mine, is there any way to really measure it? Yes, 6 months of the year here it's wicked hot however the other 6 are ideal EV weather. And, I will not be fast charging it, mostly 120v (maybe 240) at home. The Focus fit my needs, but I was really looking forward to something a little more fun to drive and more purpose built (the storage alone in that thing is horrible)

The dealer can measure battery degradation. Someone with VCDS can also help. See this thread:

http://www.myvwegolf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=564

120V/240V charging will help, especially if done only at night during cooler temperatures, but the stresses you'll put during the day will still occur.
 
Or you can see the usable kWh using OBDEleven. There are threads on SpeakEV on how to do this. The only issue is that if you continue to keep the car in very high ambient temperatures, the battery degradation will probably get worse over time. How much worse? Only VW knows that and they aren't telling us. Try to avoid high temps and high states of charge (which is why being able to set the charge limit to 80% in really hot weather is important). Good luck!
 
The SEL has LED headlights, heat pump, leather steering wheel, hands free phone for steering wheel, and faux leather seats, that don't stain like that of an LE or SE model with fabric seats. All the goodies of a loaded Golf vehicle.

The HOV sticker is a non issue in AZ, where the interested buyer lives. It's laughable placing "value" on a HOV lane sticker, unless you live in Los Angeles, or somewhere around San Jose or San Francisco. If you buy an e-golf for use in the HOV lane, so you can speed, you're missing the primary function of the e-Golf. That's government interference trying to control your motivation for buying electric. It's a city car, not an interstate, freeway, or highway star road burner.

I can easily control my level of charge % with my e-motorwerkz 40Pro EVSE unit. I just load in how many kWh I want to add to the battery, with every charge, from my smart phone. Since there's a 8 to 9% loss in kWh when charging, and the battery already only fully charges to about 91%, I just take miles driven on a charge and divide by miles per kWh, and with the 9% loss, if I take the kW number, it will put me very close to 79 to 82% SOC, with some rounding up or or down of whole kWh.

Be careful and verify what F1geek posts, there's a lot of misinformation he posts up, and nonsense. If you really want to know how hard an e-Golf has been run, find out how many miles they get out of a stock set of Ecopia 422 Plus tires. Also look at their long term miles per kWh. That will tell you all you need to know. Then look at the wear and tear exterior and interior.

I've never had a problem selling any of my used VW TDI's for top dollar, private party. The 2015 SEL e-Golf will be no different.
 
2016golfse said:
My advice would be to avoid the E-Golf altogether in AZ. Liquid cooled thermal management is really a must-have there. If your heart is set on getting one, the 2016's would be my recommendation as they came with vastly improved infotainment - really a night and day difference with Android Auto and Apple Carplay. That's in addition to setting the charge parameters without having Carnet service.

Know that the price of the 2015's is going to drop very soon in CA (if not already), because all of the white HOV stickers will no longer have value as of 1/1/19. Definitely DO NOT OVERPAY! A lot of the 2016's were sold in 2017, so their stickers can be renewed and aren't in the same boat.

VW tests their electric cars in Death Valley, CA, every single summer.... which is why there's a 55 kWh DCFC charger located in Beatty, NV, just outside the eastern boundaries of Death Valley in NV. Obviously, VW knows what they are doing, when it comes to batteries. The battery chemistry in an e-Golf is different than the failure prone chemistry of the Nissan Leaf's that got baked doing fast charges in the Arizona desert heat. VW also, at one point, promised a 50 state electric car.
 
No problem, jaybird. I'm glad I was able to help. If you want to learn more about how heat and state of charge interact to degrade batteries, visit www.batteryuniversity.com. There is lots of information here that will tell you to best care for a lithium ion battery, especially to keep it away from high temperatures (especially above 45C) and to perform partial charges, if possible to improve longevity. There is a lot to read. I have to agree with many other posters that in a hot place like AZ, a liquid cooled battery pack is your best bet. As to VW's battery "expertise", I am a very glad that VW purchases their batteries from Panasonic (2015 and 2016 cars) and Samsung SDI (2017 car), because Panasonic and Samsung SDI truly have battery expertise.
 
JoulesThief said:
The SEL has LED headlights, heat pump, leather steering wheel, hands free phone for steering wheel, and faux leather seats, that don't stain like that of an LE or SE model with fabric seats. All the goodies of a loaded Golf vehicle.

Sounds like a plug (pun intended) for someone that's selling their car. That said, a 2016+ SEL has all of the above, plus the better infotainment and charging options without requiring Carnet service.

JoulesThief said:
The HOV sticker is a non issue in AZ, where the interested buyer lives. It's laughable placing "value" on a HOV lane sticker, unless you live in Los Angeles, or somewhere around San Jose or San Francisco. If you buy an e-golf for use in the HOV lane, so you can speed, you're missing the primary function of the e-Golf. That's government interference trying to control your motivation for buying electric. It's a city car, not an interstate, freeway, or highway star road burner.

I agree, a CA HOV sticker doesn't apply in AZ. That's obvious, but thank you for pointing it out. Laughable or not, the expiration of white stickers will impact the resale value of the car given that most of these vehicles are in CA.

JoulesThief said:
I can easily control my level of charge % with my e-motorwerkz 40Pro EVSE unit. I just load in how many kWh I want to add to the battery, with every charge, from my smart phone. Since there's a 8 to 9% loss in kWh when charging, and the battery already only fully charges to about 91%, I just take miles driven on a charge and divide by miles per kWh, and with the 9% loss, if I take the kW number, it will put me very close to 79 to 82% SOC, with some rounding up or or down of whole kWh.

Yes, there are other ways to control SOC. Doesn't change the fact that with the 2016+ models, you don't need to do any of that. I too have a Juicebox 40 Pro btw. I just never bothered to take it out of the box because 120V suits my needs for now.

JoulesThief said:
Be careful and verify what F1geek posts, there's a lot of misinformation he posts up, and nonsense. If you really want to know how hard an e-Golf has been run, find out how many miles they get out of a stock set of Ecopia 422 Plus tires. Also look at their long term miles per kWh. That will tell you all you need to know. Then look at the wear and tear exterior and interior.

It's fair to say that the tone of some of your posts can rub people the wrong way. At the same time, you do have intelligent things to add to a thread.

JoulesThief said:
I've never had a problem selling any of my used VW TDI's for top dollar, private party. The 2015 SEL e-Golf will be no different.

And I'm sure you'll have no problem. My suggestion (which hasn't changed) is to do it sooner than later because of the HOV sticker expiration.
 
I live in California but because I live in Santa Cruz I could care less about the HOV stickers. I have used them once in the 9 months we have owned our eGolf, and that was to take the car to the dealer for charge system fix for Clipper Creek right after we bought the car. I am only 35 miles from San Jose, but my wife and I both work on this side of the hill. The HOV stickers will expire for everyone someday. Should not be a resale value consideration IMO.
 
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