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Is the Electric-Power 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf Worth $36,000?

There's no question that electric vehicles will eventually have to fix our gasoline addiction. However, they are still viewed as a niche idea and adoption has been slow. Besides the fact that some people simply don't want to give up on internal combustion yet, there are two major barriers still left: range and affordability.
2015 Volkswagen e-Golf 16 photos
Photo: Volkswagen
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And yet with every new model launched, carmakers are getting closer and closer to breaching both of them. Today, Volkswagen announced pricing for its first-ever all-electric car.

It's called the e-Golf and it's based on all-new underpinnings. The major difference between this and any other 2015 Golf hatchback is that it gets its power from an electric motor and battery.

But here's the kicker. At $35,445 (plus $820 destination and delivery), this is the most expensive Golf ever put into production for an American consumer, costing as much as a well equipped Passat CC.

For the money, you're only getting 115 horsepower, coupled to what Volkswagen describes as "class-leading levels of torque", 199 lb-ft of twisting force. They also say customers should expect average range between 70 and 90 miles, depending on driving style and charging behavior.

A number of charging solutions are planned, including the CCS (Combined Charging System), which brings the battery to 80% from empty in only 30 minutes.

As is the case with all of these expensive green cars, Volkswagen is offering pretty much every feature as standard to ensure customers are happy with the everyday experience.

The e-Golf is sold as an SEL Premium top-spec car, which means heated and cooled… everything, navigation, satellite radio and the first all-LED headlights of any Volkswagen sold in America.

What about the competition? Ford also makes an electric version of its compact hatch, called the Focus Electric. It costs $35,170 and gets an EPA-estimated range of 76 miles. Even though they're more expensive, BMW's $41,350 i3 and Mercedes' practical $41,450 B-Class Electric are very interesting machine. But the most important rivals for the e-Golf Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf to consider, both of which are well established models.

So the question is: would you pay that much for an electric car from a company that's relatively new to the game? And will the German build quality make up for the high sticker price?
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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