Photo: Volkswagen
The British capital’s streets would soon be buzzing with the sound of 300 electric Volkswagen e-Golf, the latest addition to the fleet of cars available through the Zipcar sharing service.
Zipcar, which already operates a massive fleet of petrol-electric Golf GTE or internal combustion-engined Polo will buy an extra 325 e-Golfs from the Germans, significantly increasing the service's reach.
The e-Golf, whose latest version was introduced in 2017, offers an electric range of 186 miles (300 km) as calculated under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), or 124 miles (200 km) in real-life condition driving.
Power from the model comes from a new lithium-ion battery with 35.8 kWh of energy capacity, a significant rise from the 24.2 kWh previously offered. The acceleration time from 0 to 62 mph fro the Golf is rated at a lazy 9.2 seconds and the top speed caps at 93 mph (150 km/h).
Some improvements have been made to the car’s overall appearance as well. The new version got a wider 9.2-inch touchscreen, revised front and rear styling and all-LED headlights and tail lights.
Londoners will be able to drive the new additions to the fleet starting this summer.
“This is an exciting step for Volkswagen,” said Volkswagen’s director of the UK branch.
“Thousands of Zipcar members will experience electric driving, perhaps for the first time, and we know they will love the functionality and ease of use that the all-electric e-Golf provides.”
Zipcar, a subsidiary of rental giant Avis, had at the end of 2016 some 1 million members in the 500 cities it was present in. Unlike other car sharing services, Zipcar charges its members, aside from the car usage charges, a monthly or annual fee.
The car sharing business model is now expanding to the automakers themselves, as BMW and Daimler for instance set up their own car-sharing companies. Volkswagen has until now taken no measure to create its own.
The e-Golf, whose latest version was introduced in 2017, offers an electric range of 186 miles (300 km) as calculated under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), or 124 miles (200 km) in real-life condition driving.
Power from the model comes from a new lithium-ion battery with 35.8 kWh of energy capacity, a significant rise from the 24.2 kWh previously offered. The acceleration time from 0 to 62 mph fro the Golf is rated at a lazy 9.2 seconds and the top speed caps at 93 mph (150 km/h).
Some improvements have been made to the car’s overall appearance as well. The new version got a wider 9.2-inch touchscreen, revised front and rear styling and all-LED headlights and tail lights.
Londoners will be able to drive the new additions to the fleet starting this summer.
“This is an exciting step for Volkswagen,” said Volkswagen’s director of the UK branch.
“Thousands of Zipcar members will experience electric driving, perhaps for the first time, and we know they will love the functionality and ease of use that the all-electric e-Golf provides.”
Zipcar, a subsidiary of rental giant Avis, had at the end of 2016 some 1 million members in the 500 cities it was present in. Unlike other car sharing services, Zipcar charges its members, aside from the car usage charges, a monthly or annual fee.
The car sharing business model is now expanding to the automakers themselves, as BMW and Daimler for instance set up their own car-sharing companies. Volkswagen has until now taken no measure to create its own.
Google News