Wheels & Deals - Electric vw golf

Volkswagen is taking orders for the fully electric Volkswagen e-Golf, which is priced at €32,660 (including €5,000 SEAI Grant and €5,000 VRT Rebate). Based on the hatchback, the e-Golf has a purely electric drivetrain and no emissions.

The e-Golf can be charged from a household three-pin socket using the cable provided. With a standard 230-Volt, 2.3 kW supply, this recharges the battery in 13 hours. An optional wall-box for home use provides 3.6 kW supply and can recharge a flat battery in eight hours. The wall-box is currently available at no cost, through ESB ecars. The battery can be fully recharged (at levels of up to 40 kW) to 80 per cent capacity in just 35 minutes.

An AC electric motor (85 kW/115 PS, and 270 Nm) provides drive, linked to the front wheels via a single-speed gearbox. The lithium-ion battery is integrated into the Golf’s floor and weighs 318 kg. It consists of 264 cells, together rated at 390 Volts and 26.5 kWh.