First Drive Of Updated 125-mile Electric Car

The 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf, the only battery-electric car sold by VW in the U.S., got a large range boost for its third year on the market. While the current model year is winding to a close, 2017 e-Golfs are just now reaching dealers in the handful of states where the compact electric car is offered for sale. But with an EPA-rated range of 125 miles combined, the 2017 VW e-Golf now offers more range than any all-electric car that's not a Tesla or a Chevy Bolt EV. That's a 50-percent increase over the previous model's 83 miles, and significantly increases the practicality of the e-Golf for drivers with longer commutes—or those who live in areas with winter weather. Two weeks ago, we spent a brief time behind the wheel of a 2017 e-Golf, though New York City traffic prevented any meaningful test of the car's expanded range. For that we'll wait to get the electric Golf for a longer test. Meanwhile, what we can tell you is that the latest e-Golf is exactly what it was before: a Volkswagen Golf that happens to run on battery power.

What's under the hood (and under the floor, rear seat, and cargo bay) may differ completely, but you'd never know it. It's so similar to conventional gasoline-powered Golfs that uninformed passengers might never catch on that it wasn't simply the latest version of the 40-year-old hatchback classic. READ THIS: 2015 VW e-Golf: Drive Report, First U.S. As a result, our impressions of the longer-range VW e-Golf are essentially the same as those we had three years ago in testing its earlier iteration. The 2017 e-Golf received a boost in its motor output, from 86 kilowatts (115 horsepower) to 100 kw (134 hp). Torque increased as well, from 199 to 214 lb-ft. VW claims the acceleration from 0 to 60 mph is faster, at 9.6 seconds, which is a reduction of more than 1 second. To be honest, we couldn't sense any difference, but it's been three years. We had forgotten that the e-Golf has no idle creep when stopped, a detail that's easy to overcome but could baffle novice drivers. And the standard regenerative braking, while obviously stronger than that in an automatic-transmission gasoline Golf, is relatively mild—nothing like the "one-pedal driving" either standard or possible in a variety of other electric cars. Reversing the car into parking spaces was as smooth as forward acceleration. We noted no whine from either motor or power electronics under any circumstances, an impressive feat. Golf. Just as we expected, frankly.

But if you decide to stick with the factory navigation, you can set the car to display charging stations as points of interest. It's something you'll have to do less of with this version of the car, but it's still something you'll have to tackle more than we would like. Volkswagen upgraded the e-Golf's battery from 24.2 kWh to 35.8 kWh and along the way extended the range from 83 to 125 miles. An impressive feat considering the size of the battery hasn't changed. In real world tests, I was able to eek out about 118 miles with a majority of those trips being in the city and about 15 percent of that time on a highway. During my week with the car, I rarely felt concerned about the e-Golf's range. I'd charge at home and on-the-go and mostly stuck to my daily commute routine with an occasional trip to Oakland.

Then there was an opportunity to head north beyond the car's comfort range and I immediately thought of the Chevy Bolt. The biggest issue with the e-Golf is that it exists in a world where the 238-mile range Chevy Bolt is on the road. Both are fun-to-drive hatchbacks with solid electric torque and tight steering. Both have fold down seats and can handle a Costco run or help a friend move. The biggest difference is the Bolt won't need to sit at a charging station as often. Fortunately, the mid and high-end version of the e-Golf (SEL Premium and Limited Edition respectively) ship with DC fast charging. With it, Volkswagen says the battery will go from zero to 80 charged in less than a hour. We were able to roughly match that during our test. But even with the option to charge the e-Golf quicker, the range of the vehicle still hangs there in the back of your mind.