Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Jan. 22, 2015
2015 VW e-Golf – $35,445 to start not incl. any localized tax credits while allowing owners an 83 mile all-electric range (AER).
Washington DC – Just minutes ago at the 2015 Washington Auto Show, Volkswagen and BMW together with ChargePoint announced they were prepping to create charging corridors along heavily-traveled routes on the East and West Coasts. Designed to increase the number of Level3 fast charging station locations, the initiative will help meet the growing demand for convenient, publicly available direct current (DC) Fast charging locations, and support the adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) in the United States.
2015 VW eGolf Overview
The 5-door hatch e-Golf is recognizable as the BEV with unique alloy wheels and std. LED headlights.
On the DRL front, a signature C-shaped design of highly efficient LED daytime running lights are a distinguishing feature of all Volkswagen electric vehicles and come standard on the e-Golf.
Another feature is the blue colored accent line that travels across the top of the radiator grille and is matched by blue accents throughout the interior. The blue accent appears on all efficient Volkswagen models (including all plug-ins) and consciously aligns the e-Golf and other models with Volkswagen’s global Think Blue initiative.
To help range in colder weather, a newly developed heat pump is used. The pump uses both ambient air and heat from the drive system components to heat the cabin rather than relying solely on the high-voltage heater, helping to reduce on-board electrical consumption significantly during in winter driving.
2015 e-Golf Exterior
A little more upscale than the all-new Golf from which it was derived.
A little more upscale than the all-new Golf from which it was derived.
Inside
The e-Golf will be available only in an SEL Premium trim with a touchscreen navigation system, VW Car-Net connected services; Keyless access with push-button start; heatable front seats; a leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel; Bluetooth technology; V-Tex leatherette seating surfaces; available SiriusXM Satellite Radio; a rear-view camera; and Park Distance Control. The interior is also enhanced by blue elements, including the decorative seams on the steering wheel and shifter, plus the floor-mat edgings.
The touchscreen in the center console includes a Range monitor, an Energy flow indicator, an e-manager that this enables drivers to pre-program up to three departure and charging times.
2015 VW e-Golf
Upscale SEL trim and more.
Upscale SEL trim and more.
Drivetrain
The e-Golf is powered by a 115 hp and 199 lb-ft. of torque synchronous permanent-magnet AC motor mated to a single speed transmission with an integrated differential and an electro-mechanical parking brake. Together they allow the e-Golf to reach 60 in 10.3 seconds and achieve an electronically limited top speed to 87 mph.
The motor, transmission, and even the Li-Ion battery were developed in-house and are made at Volkswagen’s components plant in Kassel, Germany.
Li-Ion battery
The Li-Ion pack accounts for 701 pounds of the e-Golf model’s 3090-pound curb weight. It is composed of a total of 264 individual prismatic cells integrated into 27 modules (each with six or twelve cells). Collectively, the cells have a nominal rating of 323 volts, with an overall capacity of 24.2 kWh. A battery management controller (BMC) performs diagnosis and monitoring functions and also regulates the temperature balance in the battery junction controller (the interface to the motor’s energy supply). When the car is not in use or in the event of a collision, power from the battery is automatically cut off.
Charging
The battery of the e-Golf can be charged in 20 hours from empty via a standard 120V wall outlet. A wall mounted Level2 3.6 kW charger can bring the pack from empty to full in approximately eight hours. From a 7.2 kW Level2 charging unit, flat to full can be completed in just under 4 hours.
Key to the eGolfs future success is the incorporation of an SAE combined charging system (CCS) for Level3 DC charging helping to charge the e-Golf from flat to 80 percent in approximately 20 minutes when connected to the highest output chargers.
The standard Combined Charging System (CCS) plug gives the e-Golf the capability to take advantage of DC Fast Charging infrastructure. For added flexibility, the charging process can be activated—immediately or programmed for later—by pressing a button next to the charging socket under the ‘fuel cap’ or through an available iPhone or Android app.
2015 e-Golf Motor Bay
The technological heart lurks inside.
The technological heart lurks inside.
The e-Golf Customer
VW e-Golf customers receive a Roadside Assistance Plan that’s designed for the BEV owner. If an owner ever runs out of charge and is within 100 miles of their home, VW’s Roadside Assistance provider will deliver the car to a nearby and convenient source for charging and will even pay for the customer to take a taxi home or to work if they decide not to travel with the car. The plan covers unlimited events.
The e-Golf will have its own dedicated “VW Car-Net e-Remote” app that will allow owners to adjust vehicle settings via a compatible smartphone or the VW Car-Net website. The app will contain the following functions:
- Climate control: Starting and stopping the auxiliary climate control function, plus a display of the outside temperature and the target temperature for the car’s interior.
- Charging the battery: Starting and stopping the charging process, indicating charger connection status, charge status, charge progress, charge level, charge start time and range.
- Accessing vehicle data: Information display relating to individual journeys (single trips or long term), such as miles driven, journey time, electric motor power consumption, power consumption of auxiliary components such as air conditioning and radio, use of regenerative braking.
- Vehicle status queries: Doors and trunk locked, lights (on/off), charging cable plugged in, position where the car was last parked (GPS position on a map).
Volkswagen’s Future is Electric
2015 VW e-Golf
The New Level3 DC Charging Network
To begin, nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports are scheduled to be built on both coasts, with plans to expand the program to increase access to fast charging across the country. These newly installed DC Fast chargers will be added to the growing ChargePoint network of more than 20,000 charging spots in North America.
280,000 BEVs have been sold in the United States to date and BEV owners need better charging flexibility while on the go. The express charging corridors will provide BEV drivers access to DC Fast chargers along the most heavily populated and highly-trafficked regions on along I-95 from Boston to Washington, D.C., and on the west coast connecting the metropolitan areas of Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The installations will initially be located in relevant metro areas, strategically-spaced at a maximum of 50 miles apart, making it even easier to take long road trips in a BEV.
Each fast charging location along the express charging corridors is expected to include up to two 50 kW DC Fast chargers, or a 24 kW DC Combo Fast chargers with the SAE Combo connector currently used in both the BMW i3 and i8 as well as Volkswagen’s eGolf and other electric vehicles using the SAE standard DC Fast Charging plugs.
When charging at a 50 kW Level3 station, both the BMW i3 and the Volkswagen e-Golf can charge up to 80 percent of their capacity in 20 minutes. Both vehicles can charge up to 80 percent in 30 minutes at a 24 kW station.
Locations will also include Level 2 chargers which are compatible with all electric vehicles. Level 2 stations can provide up to 25 miles of range per hour of charging, providing a full charge for the BMW i3 and the VW e-Golf in 3.5 to 4 hours.
The DC Fast charging stations will be part of the ChargePoint network and can be easily accessed with a ChargePoint or ChargeNow card or with the ChargePoint mobile app.
Chargepoint did not provide any details on the cost of a Level3 Charge but I suspect it will be in the neighborhood of $0.50 to $0.75/kWh. Meaning it will not be an inexpensive proposition.
Installations have already begun on the west coast, with the first location in San Diego County. I will try and get an eGolf to that location the next time I am in San Diego.
There is an initial target of nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports in the first phase ending by the end of the year.
With the investment, Volkswagen, BMW and ChargePoint are providing drivers with the ability and confidence to enjoy longer distance driving and recharge their electric vehicles quickly, ultimately leading to greater electric vehicle adoption.
2015 BMW i3 and a 2015 VW eGolf together
Both can be equipped as Level3 DC charging network ready.
Both can be equipped as Level3 DC charging network ready.
Hopefully VW and BMW will subsidize the use of the Level3 chargers for a given period of time to reduce the onerous costs of charging on the network.
VW, BMW and Chargepoint Creating SAE Level3 Fast Charging Corridors
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