What's the news?
Following on from last week's announcement of 2017 model year updates across the range for the venerable MkVII Golf, Volkswagen is presenting a revised version of its electric e-Golf at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The big news is a claimed range increase of 50 per cent, which suggests 200km can be achieved in everyday driving.
Exterior
Externally, the car is distinguished by a blanked-off front grille, blue trim and LED running lights, all hallmark e-Golf features. The bumpers benefit from the same top-and-trim as the rest of the range and LED head- and taillights also feature, with the latter getting 'animated' indicators and a slick transition effect between tail and brake lighting under braking for the higher-spec version.
Interior
Inside, the customisable Active Info Display features e-Golf specific instruments such as a power meter, and the gesture-activated Discover Pro infotainment system is fitted as standard with the same high level of connectivity as the conventionally-powered models. Semi-autonomous safety aids like Traffic Assist and Emergency Assist are also offered.
Mechanicals
The increased range has been achieved by the fitment of a new lithium-ion battery with a 35.8kWh capacity, pushing power output up by 15kW to 100kW and increasing torque from 270Nm to 290Nm. Despite the associated weight penalty, the 0-100km/h time now dips under ten seconds and top speed increases 10km/h to 150km/h.
That battery can be charged to full capacity in under six hours through a mains socket, and up to 80 per cent capacity within an hour if fast charging is used. Volkswagen quotes a 300km New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) figure, so it will be interesting to see what range can be achieved in real-world conditions.
Anything else?
All in all, the prospect of a longer-range zero-emissions vehicle housed within the eminently practical Golf body shell will make it an interesting proposition for potential buyers. There's no word from Volkswagen on an exact availability date or price just yet, but we'd expect a slight increase on the current starting point of €33,410.