First month of eGolf - 200km range minimum

After the first month of driving my Volkswagen eGolf, there are some experiences and lessons learned to share. And no music in the video, because I wanted to point out the silence when driving the car...

[@philreilly6959]

Hi, I've been thinking about buying a nearly-new e-Golf because it now represents excellent value. I especially like the fact that you have given a very balanced report on the car. Most reviews are by people who have the car for 1 or 2 days and are not able to have the deeper understanding of the driving experience that you have been able to give. A very good video. Thanks for the insights.

[@michaelkaufman2978]

Thank you very much for this review. I am in the UK. Though my heart is taken by Tesla (I reserved a Model 3 on the very first morning in March 2016), I am also very much considering more affordable practical choices such as the 2017/18/19 eGolf, or the 2018/19 Nissan Leaf. Because your review is not based on just a day or even a week of use, you were able to provide useful points of view and tips that should considerably improve owners' experiences. One is not usually not given these tips by other reviewers. Dank u!

[@willwemakeit7837]

It is great to do Michael. Apart from my own personal convictions on "information leads to the required transition", today I had a business trip of 500+ km and instead of just sitting and watching the grass grow, shooting it on camera made the day a little more fun;-)

[@Mj3DArts]

in B mode the brake lights turn on, so it's only supposed to be used for a complete stop at an intersection for example.. coasting is best normally but when you need to come to a complete stop you can switch to regen mode 2 and then B mode at the end for a full stop.. in city driving you can drive in regen1 all the time and also switch to B mode when stopping..

[@brucekennedy5274]

Really nice informative video - thank you!

[@benderdiver]

Excellent honest review,verry informative,i drove e golf for two days, if you just take foot of ac and freewheel you will go further than you can regenerate in b,i like it

[@frankfrisina2577]

You really need to get more information on how to use regenerative breaking. I use B all the time on mine and it DOES improve milage.

[@TheGalantir]

I agree on that one. In my opinion it is best used in city driving and turning it on when you need to come to a complete stop at lights or something like that.

[@HelloMyFriend_]

I keep switching between B and D (level 1) when I city drive. Just as I near a bump, a turn, drive down a steep slope or come close to a red light, I switch to B, then immediately back to D. Today I went for a 15 minute drive starting at 241 km. When I came back it was still 241 😊👍

[@Aucourant347]

Nice to see what someone else is achieving. I’m around 180ish estimated range but whit winter tires and we have been getting -20 witch really drops the energy density of the batteries estimated 135 range, turn off all heat 150 estimated range. And at -20 there’s almost no regeneration available.

[@willwemakeit7837]

Thank you very much for your info. Can you share some more info on "available regeneration versus temperature"? I noticed some differences indeed, but it is not as dramatic here. While these additional info is so valuable for everyone to really grasp.

[@labro.]

I have one. In summer spring and fall everything is fine, but the range fks up in cold temperatures.

[@jamespalmer2689]

Hi thanks for the opinions etc. I am 2 days into my Golf. I can't see how to use my stick to change the eco modes and i end up using the touch screen. Also does it do any harm to charge a battery from half life etc? I hear mixed ideas from those who compare with phones (these folk don't own an ev)

[@Jon_Oates]

Very interesting tips. Thank you. I had not thought about autohold for reducing energy consumption in town. A couple of questions: Did your eGolf come equipped with a heat pump, and which charging networks do you use? We periodically visit the Netherlands from the UK, and I would like to be fully prepared for our next trip!

[@willwemakeit7837]

Jon Oates the car is indeed equiped with a heath pump, and fortunately, the Golf comes standard with a fastcharging connection (can you believe that to be an extra on the BMW i3? LOL). So far I have used several facilities for (fast)charging: - within NL there is quite an elaborate charging network available and several suppliers exist that offer you an rfid-card/-keychain to connect to virtually all charging points out there. Examples are @vandebron and @thenewmotion (owned by Shell nowadays so that says something about our mobility future;-)) - fastned is an elaborate network of facilities along the Dutch highways (the ones with the yellow arches). Easy to use: download their app, connect your creditcard and start/stop your charging sessions with your iPhone on their free wifi during your stop-over. When you choose to buy an rfid-subscription as mentioned above, that can be conncected to Fastned as well! Would love to get your feedback when you are on Dutch grounds!

[@Jon_Oates]

The ability to use a single RFID tag to access multiple networks with one payment gateway is something that we could usefully adopt in the UK. At present, we have a patchwork of different suppliers, all with their own apps or cards. The situation is better in Scotland where a single Charge Place Scotland card can be used for the mostly free charge points. The exception is at motorway service stations in Scotland where the UK-wide Ecotricity Electric Highway charge points are accessed, and paid for, with an app. One of the newer rapid charge operators in the UK (InstaVolt) has pay-as-you-go contactless payment with bank debit/credit cards. I'm afraid it's a bit of a muddle at the moment, but will sort itself out with time. Costs vary but are averaging around 25-35p per kWh. Shell is starting to roll out rapid chargers at their own petrol station forecourts, initially around London, with payment through the Smoov app (current introductory price 25p per kWh, due to increase to 49p per kWh in June 2018.) Some of the supermarkets are catching on, and Lidl is installing free rapid chargers, accessed through a Pod Point app. Some hotel chains are connected to the Polar Plus network. Unfortunately, this requires a card and subscription, which is not ideal for occasional users. I would be interested in hearing how visitors to the UK manage. It's complicated enough for residents here! We are looking forward to our next trip to NL for a charging adventure.

[@henrikohm]

Great input

[@erebostd]

Such a great car 🥰

[@xchopp]

It's not the cold? Yes it is! Your e-Golf will go much farther in the summer. The available range is based on a bunch of factors but always on your driving over the last few miles. We find our 2016 SE model's range declines from a (nominal!) 83 miles to something like 75 miles in the winter when it gets below 40 degrees F (er, sorry for the miles and degrees F but we're in New Jersey). This particular battery tech seems to love the heat. I toggle between B and D depending on what the conditions are. It's hard to beat B for urban driving where you're stopping frequently -- on longer stretches I stay in D: as you suggest, you get better range that way. I see you love the heated seats -- but we find three bars just too hot, two is more than enough!

[@willwemakeit7837]

Thanks so much for your additional insight. Since this video I had indeed some days where I started to doubt my own statements. And I guess we will all deal with the Milage/KM, F/C and vice versa. This is the United States of Internet, with one melting pot of language, isn't it. As long as we can inform each other on what is important;-)!

[@jasper7670]

Bedankt!

[@bnnieJ]

Wat is het toch mooi in Arnhem en omgeving! :-)

[@willwemakeit7837]

Meer mooie Hollandse plaatjes in aantocht;-)!

[@berendt87]

1:00 Is dat toevallig in de buurt van Apeldoorn?

[@bruts82]

I live in Ireland it rarely goes below 1 degrees here so I’m assuming I’ll get at least 220 plus

[@willwemakeit7837]

bruts82 be aware: the cold is only part of the problem! Rain and snow are equally bad for your range because they both add resistance to your flow and thus ask power. I recon that it rains in Ireland at least as often as in The Netherlands and it can get windy as well? The beauty of wind though is that it usually blows one way, when you have it on the nose on your way over, it will be on your back on the return trip;-)!

[@bruts82]

Will we make it? Perfect my average daily kilometres are 150 ish I have a charger at home and at work which is 32 kilometre round trip With a bit of city driving daily and the odd trip So I am happy with the range

[@sukhi5577]

is this good for highway driving? can It do 150km/day?

[@willwemakeit7837]

Today I am running a daytrip of 500+ km on one day (new video on it soon). It was pretty cold here during the morning but still my shortest stint between charges was 160km, with 30 km to spare. So I would say, generally, yes, it works for a daily 150km commute without charging in between. But beware: you have to accept some speed limitations when it rains or when there is a cold.

[@balintgergely7818]

In "B" the recharge is stronger. So not loose energy in B but wins energy! Or what do you think?

[@michaelherlihy2090]

If there is a choice between coasting and "regening" - its better to coast as the amount of energy that you put into accelerating - you will only get a certain percentage of this back from regen - its not a perfect regen system where you get all the energy back again when you are slowing down. Fro what I have read, at best, you get 70% of the energy back.

[@michi386]

i´m driving in B all the time.... if you want the car to coast, you just press the accelerator down until you consumption shows 0... you´re getting the right feel quite quickly and after that, driving somehow else or a gas car just seems stupid and wrong^^

[@refusoagaino6824]

No question, using a 'heavy' regen setting puts any 'wasted' energy caused from accelerating back in the battery. That you shouldn't have used so much is a waste, but with 96% efficiencies, the difference between driving carefully and driving fast on our Spark EV or the Fiat 500 we have now is almost unnoticeable. Stop and go driving produces more range than a straight (brakeless) run down the freeway. Both cars use the mechanical brake if the regen braking isn't sufficient. With the Spark you have to step on the brake pedal slightly harder and you can feel the transition between regen braking and when the pucks hit the rotors. With the Fiat, the only 'switch' to activate regenerative braking is the top half of travel of the brake pedal. Just touching the pedal brings a blue bar onto the "power flow" meter on the dash. If more regen-braking is needed, the blue bar grows vertically until the mechanical brake engages (if necessary) and the color changes to yellow, then red. Just drive 'blue' all the time, stay out of the red for regen braking or accelerating. (the meter also shows optimum acceleration Green or 'Red' line acceleration) I like the 'one pedal' functionality but it's not the 'one pedal' they refer to regarding the car coming to a full stop at a stop sign, from accelerator input only, no brake pedal. Some cars have paddles on the steering wheel to control regen braking while 'cruising' through traffic. You apply a little to scrub off speed in those hairpins. Either car will dominate ice racing.

[@Mj3DArts]

wow cool i didn't know that.. thanks for the info

[@joostschutten912]

the trick is to play with it, as long as you coast it is best, but in the city there are many situations that coasting is not possible, so then use the B. using the gear handle makes switching very easy and you’ll get the hang of it. this way you loose much less milage in the city

[@ingerlarsen.laursen161]

Why do they not use electrical wheel hubs? That will save a gearbox an leave more space in the frunk!

[@santerixdxd]

Inger Larsen.Laursen unsprung weight. Makes the car handle worse and also makes it less efficient

[@williamantunes9599]

How much costs to recharge the car?

[@arnoldas9vegas]

you can also charge at home via normal outlet

[@Eric-lx8hp]

Free I charge at work

[@sirmaffia67]

Do you have a heath pump/warmte pomp?

[@zanea6820]

its the 35 or 24 kwh?

[@kwaliteitaccount3293]

Little late; but its the 35.8 kwh since he does 200+ km in winter.

[@ConstantijnKool]

dutch!

[@lucasrem]

Will Can Volkwagen sell you the same deal as Tesla or better now? The cars behavior next to a GTI class Golf, better? Better then that small economic class Tesla now? Ik zie en hoor allemaal boerenkool hier, dus ik reageer meer in het Hollands. Probeer gewoon een goed verslag te maken, wat zijn de voordelen, wat de nadelen. Kan Volkswagen wel leveren wat Tesla kan, of is dit allemaal te minimaal? Is het beter dan een een Diesel Gas Golf? Optrekken, kan die accu dat wel aan? Op welke punten is hij beter, en hoe hij reageert op Ludicrous behavior? Als het goed is bied elektrisch alleen maar voordelen, en rijd hij de GTI er makkelijk uit op elk punt van elke test, Dat ontbreekt hier duidelijk! Wat kan hij dus totaal onduidelijk, dat zou ik de eerste dag al duidelijk willen hebben! Actieradius is geen item, vergeet die afstand, genoeg. Je kan beter kijken hoe snel hij op kan laden, hoe ver kom je dan weer na 10 minuten koffie belangrijker, ook kan je zien wat de accu doet, en hoe kan je laad gedrag bepalen, Supercharged of langzaam laden beter voor het moment, hoe rate je die app?

[@jwagner1993]

Still too expensive for me. Doesn't worth. To replace my car for this, will be more than 10 years to start saving money

[@EastMontana1]

Tired of these automobile companies playing with our pockets with these E vehicles 🚗 with low rages.

[@Defender247]

How can you anticipate a car breaking in front of you! You release and it recharges! Makes no sense you would say not using that function

[@Defender247]

That’s ridiculous to say don’t use B! That’s recharging the car when you use that feature