The Volkswagen Golf Blue-e-motion has hopped onto the bandwagon, joining the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, Ford Focus EV, smart ED and many others.
The electric Golf is not very different from the regular gasoline powered Golf. Although people with a sharp eye might noticed that it doesn’t have a muffler. The Golf Blue-e-motion is powered by an 85 kW electric engine (114 horsepower) that delivers a maximum of 199 lbs-ft of torque. Its lithium-ion battery can store up to 26.5 kWh. Its range is 150 km and brake energy is recovered to improve this range. Max speed is 137 km/hr and, according to Volkswagen, the vehicle can go from 0-100 km/hr in 11.8 seconds.
Let’s get to the battery. It is made up of 180 cells clustered into 30 modules. These are stored under the trunk floor (the spare tire is under the rear seat and between the two front seats). This also frees up a space for the exhaust system (it’s basically a tunnel that runs down the centre of the vehicle). A separate ventilation system ensures that the battery temperature remains constant and perfect. Adding approximately 200 kg to the Golf, these batteries lower the vehicle’s centre of gravity and therefore make for better road handling. The charging plug is under the VW insignia in the centre of the grille.
More changes were made to the inside than the outside. The gauge that normally indicates rpm has been replaced by a unit that tells you how many kW the accelerator is drawing. A smaller gauge inside the bigger one lets you know what the remaining driving range is. On the right is a speedometer and below is an indicator showing the battery charge level. Between these two circles is a small rectangular screen that, according to Volkswagen’s press document, allows the driver to pre-set the battery charge function. There are four modes: D, D1, D2 and D3. For example, in D mode, the car can slow down on its own when you ease off the accelerator, without help from the engine brake. At the other end of the spectrum, in D3 mode, as much energy as possible is recovered and transferred to the battery, and braking is a lot more noticeable. However, our vehicle did not have this system. But it was possible to put the gear shift into "B" (Brake). In the city, it’s an excellent way to recharge the battery while reducing wear on the brake calipers.
Meanwhile, a button on the console lets you choose between Comfort, Autonomy and Dynamic Modes, which influence the power of the electric engine, climate control, maximum speed and energy recovery. Aside from that, it’s pretty much the same as the gasoline and TDI Golf.
The acceleration was the same as the 2.5 version. Like all VWs, the steering precision and feedback is terrific. Taking a corner at a higher speed resulted in some more pronounced weight transfer, which makes sense given the car’s added weight.
The electric Golf will be available in 2013, just after the launch of the Up!, an all-electric urban car.
Source[Alain Morin:CarGuideWeb]
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