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VOLKSWAGEN e-Golf Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Generations: 2
First production year: 2014
Engines: Electric
Body style: Hatchback
VOLKSWAGEN e-Golf photo gallery

The electric revolution caught the imagination of Golf lovers who looked at the German carmaker to offer them a reason not to buy a Nissan Leaf.

Volkswagen was looking to pay its sins from Dieselgate, and the e-Golf was the perfect answer. With its zero-emissions from the pipe and the smooth promised driving experience, it enchanted its fans with an electric Golf. The first model was introduced in 2014 and, just two years later, the Golf was changed and updated.

In 2016, the seventh generation of the Golf received a mid-life cycle impulse that brought new technologies and a slightly different look on it. The e-Golf, even though it was just two years old, had to follow its siblings and showed a LED headlights and taillights. Its bumpers were refreshed as well. The e-Golf was the only version in its range that showed a C-letter pattern daytime running lights in the front bumpers. In the rear, Volkswagen installed fake chromed exhausts on the bottom of the bumper. It was an unusual and illogical decision.

Inside, it was the same digital instrument cluster. Volkswagen offered a new Discover Pro infotainment system fitted with a 9.2” glass-display on the center stack. It provided a gesture control system and a fully configurable home screen.

The most important change was under the... floor. Volkswagen installed a new battery with an increased storage capacity from 24.2 kWh to 35.8 kWh thanks to the lithium-ion technology. The motor was also new and developed 19 more hp, reaching a total of 134 that could rocket the car from 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) a second faster than its predecessor.

full description and technical specifications
VOLKSWAGEN e-Golf photo gallery

The quest for eco-friendly cars led more and more car-manufacturers to invest and produce electric vehicles. In 2014 Volkswagen tried to overtake the competition and installed an electric motor in a Golf.

After the Dieselgate scandal, where Volkswagen had to pay billions of dollars to the American buyers, it had to do something to clean its image. The best choice was an electric lineup. There was not enough time to research and launch a completely new electric model. Instead, it took an electric motor and a battery pack and installed them in an electric Volkswagen Golf, named e-Golf.

Few details showed the fact that the e-Golf was an electric car. First, of course, it didn't have an exhaust. But some cars concealed it under the bumper. But the most important is at the front, where, a daytime running light shaped like two big C letters were present on the lower part of the bumper. Regardless of the color of the car, the e-Golf featured a blue line that went across the front and inside the headlights. The electric Golf was available with exclusively LED lights.

Inside, the first detail that revealed the electric mobility was the lack of a tachometer. An energy gauge was placed instead of that, showing how much energy was needed to accelerate or the recuperation factor.

The MQB platform used for the Golf was designed to accommodate electric motors as well as internal combustion engines. Due to this, the e-Golf featured the battery pack under the rear seats, without compromising the interior room or the trunk space. The car featured three driving modes: a normal mode, a balanced mode, and an eco mode.

full description and technical specifications