Is it time to switch to electric? Switching from pump to cable will be an attractive but daunting proposition for many motorists. So, putting to one side the snag of limited range and the benefit of environmentally friendly travel, how do the numbers stack up? For a VW Golf of similar space and performance to the Tekna-grade Leaf tested here, you’re looking at an R-Line model with the 1.5-litre TSI Evo petrol engine. It’s a very nice car that costs £26,975, undercutting the EV by around £500, and comes similarly well equipped. Based on our test averages of 2.8 miles per kWh for the Nissan and 40 miles per gallon for the Golf, for 10,000 miles you would pay just under £430 in electricity or about £1360 in fuel. That electricity bill assumes all of your charging is done at home but doesn’t factor in off-peak rates, which can be as little as half the typical 12p per kWh in the UK. Clearly, on a day-to-day basis, the Leaf would be the cheaper car to run, but what about depreciation? Using the price of the Leaf before any government grant, our sources suggest that after three years and 36,000 miles it would be worth 37% of its original value. The Golf, on the other hand, would retain 42% of its original price. All in all, it’s closer than you might think. The popularity contest for electric cars is still very much a numbers game concerning driving range. Either the capacity of the battery or the proliferation of the infrastructure with which to recharge it can address the issue, though of course the eventual solution will be a blend of both. Consider that Volkswagen is readying a 48kWh battery pack for the e-Golf that would give it 260 miles of range on the NEDC cycle (and probably victory in this test).
The Mk 7 Golf may not be a bespoke electric model but it was designed from the outset to take an electric drivetrain. This has allowed the batteries to be integrated into the floor under the front and rear seats and utilising the central tunnel that would normally carry the exhaust. Despite this you do still lose a little boot space with 341 litres available instead of the normal 380 litres. One of the best features of the e-Golf is the ability to choose the level of regenerative braking using what would have been a gear lever. D provides no regen, allowing coasting, D1 provides a little, while 2, 3 and B provide increasing levels, which are sufficient to activate the brake lights. This is great, as whilst lots of regen extends the range, it can make it difficult to make smooth progress, so giving the driver the option is a welcome addition. The e-Golf is a good choice if you want to go electric whilst keeping the driving experience as ‘normal’ as possible. It has a reassuringly long battery warranty, sensible range, and can be specified to allow rapid charging.
In terms of price, it’s bang in the middle of the Golf range and offers potentially big savings in running costs. Please note that CO2 emissions quoted for electric cars are not directly comparable to diesel and petrol cars. This is because CO2 emissions quoted are calculated by Green Car Guide and include the emissions created at the power station turning fuel (e.g. gas etc) into electricity and in transmitting and distributing the electricity to an end user. They do not include the actual production of the fuel (e.g. gas extraction and refinery emissions). Petrol and diesel emissions are supplied by car manufacturers and are based solely on the fuel burnt in the engine (tailpipe emissions) and do not include the production of the fuel or distribution to a fuel station. In practice this means that electric car emissions are over-estimated relative to petrol and diesel. For instance if an electric car, a petrol car, and a diesel car are all reported to emit 100 g/km CO2, the electric car actually has lower emissions.
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