Volkswagen Begin E-Golf Test in US

Volkswagen will begins its test today of E-Golfs in the US. It has brought 20 vehicles that will be used in a pilot program for 9 months. VW employees received 12 of the cars. 

Volkswagen will evaluate how the users drive the car and the effect of climate on the cars. It has sent cars to Detroit, San Francisco and Washington D.C. 

All of the testers will have a 220 volt charging station installed at their home. Volkswagen has also created an iPhone app to allow drivers to check the battery's status, operate the HVAC system, estimate time to a full charge and remotely begin charging. Volkswagen also has created a web portal for users to ask questions and voice their opinions about driving the E-Golf. 

“During this test we will examine in detail all the technical and administrative aspects of typical consumers using electric vehicles on an everyday basis. For a successful market launch of electric vehicles, the way that home chargers are handled is very important, along with easy access to public charging infrastructure. For the U.S., we also have to recognize the specific legal regulations as well as the different characteristics of the electricity supply: both the reduced 110-volt mains supply and the type of charging plugs,” said said Dr Rudolf Krebs, Executive Vice president and Head of Volkswagen Group E-Traction. 

The E-Golf is based on the current four-door Golf with an electric motor that produces 199lb-ft of torque. It is equipped with a 26.5kWh lithium-ion battery. The car as a total range of 93 miles. It has three available modes of regenerative braking, and charging is done via a plug where the gas cap would usually be.