Cheaper Volkswagen e-Golf Announced

I’d say that the Volkswagen e-Golf was already one of the more competitive electric cars on the market, but it is now getting even more competitive, with a new low MSRP of $33,450 in the US ($25,950 after the federal tax credit for electric vehicles and $23,450 after that and the California zero-emission vehicle cash rebate). That’s down a bit from its previous low of $35,445 ($27,945 | $25,450).

Note that this is not a price drop, but rather, the introduction of a new trim line. This new model is the “2015 e-Golf Limited Edition,” and I wonder if Volkswagen isn’t trying to see if it could compete with the Nissan LEAF (starting at $29,010) with the cheaper option, or if it is trying to not be overrun by the Kia Soul EV (starting at $33,700). A more sinister thought is that Volkswagen released the lower-trim version later in order to get better reviews in the initial months.

No matter what it is doing, to really move vehicle, Volkswagen needs to make the vehicles widely available, advertise the cars, and get dealers trained and incentivized enough to not guide people toward the e-Golf rather than as far away from it as possible.

If you’re interested in leasing (typically a very good option with electric cars these days), the e-Golf Limited Edition starts at $229/month.

With the announcement, VW wrote, “The 2015 e-Golf Limited Edition is priced nearly $2,000 less than its SEL counterpart at $33,450, without compromising performance, quality, or versatility.”

Here’s a bit more from VW:

The e-Golf Limited Edition is built on the same sporty Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) platform as the rest of the award winning Golf family. It is powered by a compact electric motor and a 24.2 kWh lithium-ion battery (built in-house at the Volkswagen facility in Braunschweig, Germany), and offers 115 horsepower and class-leading torque of 199 pound feet.

Changes compared with the SEL Premium models include 16-inch steel wheels in place of aluminum-alloys, an option of HID vs LED headlights, cloth in place of leatherette seating surfaces, and deletion of the heat-pump system. Equipment and features that remain unchanged from the SEL Premium model include:

• DC Fast Charging with the Combined Charging System (CCS) that allows up to 80 percent battery charge in 30 minutes
• Standard 7.2kW onboard charger
• Versatile cargo area, with 22.8 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats; 52.7 cubic feet with seats folded
• Three driving profiles designed to preserve energy (“Normal”, “Eco”, and “Eco+”) and three driver-selectable regeneration modes
• KESSY® keyless access with push-button start
• Navigation system
• LED Daytime Running Lights
• Climatronic® automatic dual-zone climate control system
• Electronic parking brake
• Electrically heated windshield
• Automatic headlights and wipers
• Rearview camera
• Front and rear Park Distance Control

The VW e-Golf has a wonderful MPGe of 116, making it the 3rd most “fuel efficient” car on the US car market. It only trails the BMW i3 (124 MPGe) and Chevy Spark EV (119 MPGe).

Notably, the VW e-Golf was the Motor Trend 2015 Car of the Year.