GUS JOHNSON AND HOW DO YOU THINK YOU CREATE PETROL,YOU NEED ALSO A LOT OF ENERGY TO PRODUCE PETROL AND MUCH LESS TO CHARGE AN ELECTRIC CAR SOMETIMES YOU BUY PETROL FROM COUNTRIES LIKE SAUDI ARABIA THAT ARE NOT THE GREATEST DEMOCRACIES,OR FROM NIGERIA ,WHERE COMPANIES LIKE SHELL /DUTCH AND ENGLISH DONT CARE AT ALL FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND BESIDES ALL THAT YOU CAN PRODUCE ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES AND WHAT ABOUT FRACKING ,AND PETROL TRANSPORTATION AND PETROL TANKERS ACCIDENTS AND THE LIST GOES ON REGARDS DOV
@@dovstruzer3610 - petrol isn't the cause of environmental damage. That's caused by too many people; who need food, water, shelter etc etc. etc. Electric cars, green politics, socialism are not the solution - less people is the solution.
THIS is how new EVs should be looked at on this show, I love Robert's segments but so many of those reviews are just static interior shots of him driving and telling us about the car. We really need walkarounds and to be shown all the ins and outs of the car like what Jonny is doing here. 10/10.
Pitch perfect review, IMO. Although, I'm a bit surprised that Robert didn't want to be the one to review the e-Golf as he's a confirmed Golf fan. Actually, maybe that's a good reason he didn't for the sake of balance. And all of the digs against VW's "fibby" "cheaty" history were particularly well placed ;) Again, tremendous respect for the entire Fully Charged team for producing the best EV/renewable energy series out there!
Johnson Censored thats why i keep watching these vidoes, surfing the net, and even reading and contributing in comments. Sometimes youll find all sorts of info there.
Thank you for saying everything I've wanted to say about this car. I'm 60+, I've never owned a foreign car and I'm planning on buying a e-gulf. I've driven it and it felt like home to me. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I love my e-gulf. It gets me around town. I wouldn’t mind if they could add some mileage. I’ve had my ‘17 since 2019 and the only problems I’ve had is the air went out in ‘23 and had to replace some sort of plugs for it to work. Now I’ve noticed that my mileage isn’t giving me the correct numbers so that means the batteries are starting to degrade . But I will hang on to this for as long as I can. I bought it for 22,000 and with the air and new tires spent another $3500. The electricity isn’t much, this is a great deal for me.
Good to see that VW is starting to make decent electric cars. The manual shift of re-gen breaking will feel like shifting gears. Drivers will like that.
6:50 "Depeche Mode" xD .. for those that don't understand why he says that: it reminds him of the start of the song "Personal Jesus" from Depeche Mode ;)
He was subtle about it because he said it sounded like Personal Jesus in his Golf GTE review a few months ago on this channel. Obviously didn't want to repeat himself.
Me too! Jonny perfectly fits Fully Charged. His factual pro-EV style with right amount of humor at the right place is lovely. For Robert it's the same - could not remember any better host for Fully Charged... ;o) Thanks a lot and keep on going! (From Lower-Saxony, where the Golfs are build (but sorry, VW is absolutely not my preferred brand... ;o)))
Hopefully VW will get serious about EVs and bring the new electric platform to a wide range of models. So far, lots of talk but very few EVs actually built. Please test drive the e-Golf. it's a very good car.
It is available in quite a few markets, including the US. But I don't think VW is going to push this model much more. Their next generation EVs are all going to be built on a completely new platform - not converted ICE vehicles, but EVs from the ground up. When they launch two years from now, they will fairly quickly replace all existing EV offerings that VW has in its portfolio.
Streetwind when MQB was only in design, VW mentioned that MQB is being built with electric drive in mind. And judging by the fact they've squized 38,5kwh battery in this one, while Nissan had 30 in designed from scratch EV - they succeeded. Also, MQB platform is not just the Golf. Even much larger Tiguan (and there will be new 7-seat crossover soon) and Passat are based on MQB these days.
Nissan will soon have 40kWH on the same old chassis, fairly quickly followed by 60kWH. That's more to do with battery tech developments, than good platform design. Do the seats fold flat? Check out the Hyundai Ioniq for a good modern platform - Hybrid, plug in hybrid and EV.
The heat pump is an absolute must. It makes a huge difference. Should be standard. Also I really hope VW dealers actually care about selling this car. My dealer wasn't interested once I said I wanted the eGolf. He said they don't stock them. He even told me they'd stopped making them.
+Joseph Buckton I had the same experience from a couple of Nissan dealers when attempting to check out a Leaf. I ended spending much too much on a Tesla (love the car, hate how much money I had to spend to get it).
Funny - I had the complete opposite - they couldn't do enough for me. Chatting later it turned out they thought I was a mystery shopper from Nissan - presumably nobody else ever enquired about Leafs around here!
You are now my favorite reviewer! The on screen miles to kilometers conversion is so welcome! I don't understand why European reviewers suddenly began telling stuff in miles... thanks for the on screen conversion :)
Thanks for this review. Convinced me. Was delivered last week and is my first EV. Thanks for what you're doing, guys. Your videos made me change my vision concerning EVs.
Another excellent review by Mr Smith. I like his laid back approach, the perfect complement to Mr Llewellyn's slightly manic but equally enjoyable style.
This eGolf is now available in Canada as of April '18. Got to Test drive this eGolf yesterday from a coworker that just got it four weeks ago, and as u said Johnny its church quiet, vety refined and super smooth to drive. Instant torque gives u a bit of a shove in the back if u step on it. In Canada its rated for 200km range but my friend is getting 250km regularly (in 9 charges now). One really cool feature that u guys didn't mention (not sure if it's been added new just now) is the windshield has a instant demisting feature built into the glass (no blower fan for front window at all, it has been removed). A lot of people will fall in love with this car if they test drive it. So after all the BS with the Diesel, the best new VW out is an electric, and that goes to show you that if they want to (or have to) do a great EV, they can. It's just a shame it took so much fussing and messing about to get there.
Its Very disappointing that the NEW VW polo (New not refresh) out this Autumn does NOT have an electric version apparently VW say they have the new ID range which will be out in a few years :-( yep that magical 2020 date again...........
Agree! I was really hoping for an electric Polo to be released. For me, an "e-Polo" would be perfect for me as a car nr. 2. The e-UP is too small and has too short range. The e-Golf has sufficient range, but it's a bit too big, in terms of what I really need. As well as a bit too expensive, considering it will only be used as a smaller, car #2 for shorter drives. Don't wanna wait until 2019/2020, so I might just go for the "e-Golf". I got a new one for a test-drive about a week ago and I was pleasantly surprised.
Worth mentioning that the digital dash you had in this one is a £470 option! I've been trying to get an order confirmed for ages.. been told it should finally go through tomorrow :-) I'm taking that digital dash because the analogue one looks rather dated and I'm used to a ZOE!
Jonny Smith thanks for doing these on this global platform with the Fully Charged crew. Your services are advancing the world and helping the environment. Thanks!
The Renault ZOE is also a much smaller car, designed for city driving. If you drive on the highway the e-Golf will take you almost as long on its 35.8 kWh battery, despite being a larger car, as the long range ZOE does on its 41 kWh battery. As for pricing it the difference becomes smaller when you consider the extras added to the e-Golf. First of all the battery is included in the e-Golf, the same goes for the rapid charging, rear camera, heated seats, electric windows and the engine also needs an upgrade from the one in the basic ZOE. And then there are the extras you get and can get on an e-Golf that isn't available for the ZOE, like adaptive cruise control, lane assist, navigation system with voice and gesture controls, dynamic light and high beam assist, park assist to mention just a few. Sure you can get a cheaper ZOE with a bigger battery, but it would in no way be comparable to what you get in the e-Golf.
The 40kWh Zoe with the cost of the battery is only 2000 Euro cheaper than an e-Golf with the heat-pump. Not to mention that the e-Golf is much bigger, has a better suspension, better interior quality and a host of safety as standard and optional that is not even offered on the Zoe.
I only discovered fullycharged about two weeks back and I'm addicted. I've learnt so much about EV's, I'm really getting into it and I never thought I would. They make it exciting an interesting and the presenters is the best ever. I've only seen Robert, Maddie and Jonny but they are easy to watch and follow. What a joy to listen to Jonny in this video. I have a Golf and I've not been sold on EV's one bit till I started following fulllycharged. I'm definitely a petrol head and conservative in nature and Jonny pretty much sold this car to me. If I go EV, I will go and look at the Golf first. It love the fact that it looks like a normal car in every way, and especially like a Golf. Please don't change it VW, don't replace the interior with an iPad!
Suggestion for Robert - obviously Johnny is the car expert and this is a phenomenal review. Robert's car reviews are fun, but rather wishy-washy and not very informed nor informative (sorry Rob - a bit of tough love there). Robert's strengths are his passion for encouraging the EV/Renewables revolution, his industry news, analysis, critiques, and the coverage of the movers and shakers in this space (Orkney etc). So please let Johnny do the car reviews and car/tech analysis, and Robert stick with the big picture stuff. And of course, keep doing the co-hosting of the news and analysis pieces, those are great. Keep up the great work.
I love how he described the missing of exhaust pipe "In the old cars there used to be an exhaust pipe" then whispering "now it doesn't have it; it doesn't need it, coz it's electric". It not only gives the sense of clean, but quietness too! The two main attractive features of an electric car.
I think I would have an i3, I think Golfs are a bit dull. The i3 the most market leading car BMW have done since the Mk1 3 series, it should have Mini badge on it though its really more of a Mini than Beemer
It is not as bad as people always think. As long as the batteries operate below 60C it is not a huge deal. What is more problematic are cold temperatures at which Lithium starts to freeze and it reduces the capacity of the cells. Cooling has some negative sides - for instance: where does the energy for the cooling pumps come from? You will have to get it from the battery and the pumps need a lot of power to get the cooling fluid fast enough throughout the whole battery pack. And during the maintenance, when you have to replace certain battery cells, you would have to pump out all of the liquid before you´d be able to take out the battery and in the end it has to be refilled. This results in higher costs for consumers and it is a total mess for the people servicing the car.
True, but when you first buy the new e-Golf, I would, without a doubt, get it with the Active Info Display. Will probably be easier to sell the second hand market afterwards, as the analog tach-/speedometer is really getting dated.
Another brilliant FC episode. Such a relaxed and honest style, Jonny - thanks so much. I'm fed up with over too-enthusiastic, fake-excited, over the top reporting of ANYTHING let alone car reviews. This was so calm, relaxed, informative... AND you pronounce Volkswagen correctly. Thank you thank you :o) As for the car itself, well, it's a Golf. People will buy it because it's a Golf and anything to move us more towards EV is a good thing IMO. Not sure on all the modes - the vast majority of Golf drivers won't understand or care about that; they just want to get in the car and drive A to B.
I would like to give a review myself (American washington state owner). We have a 2019 egolf. Our house is powered with solar panels. We have a 2019 VW Atlas which we rarely drive. I love the e golf, its fast, it charges just fine on 110v fully, and our kids love being in it. Best of all since we rarely drive our gas powered car and produce our own power it had been cheeper and more fun to drive.
Can’t agree more! Only downside for people interested in these cars is the price, they don’t get cheap, and used cars are quite wanted. Good for people who already have one 😉
Absolutely superb review of a car,totally honest and you feel his telling true from start to finish. Petrol car's have had its 100 year+ raine.Its now the start of electric and other technologys to play there part in are history ,not just help use as Species,but to be a part in healing planet we call Home.EARTH.
I would want a 60 kWh battery, but other than that I have no complaints. It checks all the boxes. I like that it has a hatch in the rear instead of a trunk. I need to be able to haul bulky things now and then.
And some people have dogs. And last time I checked it's not really legal to split your dog in halves to put in the back and another half in your Tesla's "frunk". In most countries.
Would like to echo Dom's feedback! This video is top class! Congrats Fullychardged! And what a great car this VW E-Golf. Will this become Tesla's nightmare;-). Welcome to the front row of electrical cars!
What a relaxing road test...not a bad relaxing either. Very nicely done! Two questions: was Mrs Llewellyn filmed geeking/squeeing out over the e-Golf? And, if so, will that ever surface on t'interwebs? =]
If you want to see someone geeking out about the e-Golf take a look at Bjørn Nyland testing the adaptive headlights and wishing he could get them on his Tesla at ruclips.net/video/Mqqws2Xde7Y/видео.html remember also to watch part two where he finds out how to make them work. BTW. Optimus Prime is his Tesla Model X.
dame this guy does a great job, I'm not even in the market to buy a new car but i just love watching him do his thing. its even better when married with a good car
It is all about what you need and want. The ZOE is a great supermini, with a decent range and a starting price held low with battery rentals. The e-Golf is a small family car, that comes with a lot of extras from the start and offers even more for the family that wants more than a ZOE can give in both space and convenience. The LEAF has the disadvantage that we all know that there is a longer range version coming in a year or so and the IONIQ EV have had some delivery problems. Finally there is the BMW i3, but it seems a bit expensive compared to the rest, however if you like it that is also a nice car(had a drive in one yesterday).
I think it's still not a good time to have a electric car yet because compare to fuel there 2 basic reason why, 1. Range 2. refueling time (charging time)
tan hock jun Agreed. I can do 600+ miles some days driving for work. I can that that on one tank of diesel. Re-fuelling time, 6 minutes. I think government are really going to have to help with rebates if they want to reduce pollution. Either that or it's going to take decades for EV's to become mainstream. My thinking is that a good hybrid is the way forward for at least the next 20-30 years.
I used to drive a diesel Golf until about 5 years ago and was very happy with it. I used it for work and when I retired it felt a little "tired" having done 200,000 miles. When I replaced it I did not buy another Golf as it was too expensive and I would be doing considerably fewer miles. I considered an EV, even though they were even more expensive because I like the idea, but at the time the market had not really taken off and choice was limited. For the majority of my journeys an EV would be fine but I do the occasional longer journey and I don't know how I would manage the recharging. Typical longer journeys would be from mid Suffolk to Selsey in Sussex (about 160 miles), returning the next day, and mid Suffolk to Grantham and return the same day(about 180 miles) At the Selsey destination there would be no possibility of overnight charging, nor at the Grantham destination during the day. As I say, I do not understand how I would manage recharging in either case. I realise that my reaction is typical of someone who does not own an EV but can anyone explain how recharging could work in my examples ?
Actually John made a very good point: most of people (me too) don't want futuristic bulls**t, we need normal cars and who cares what powers them, process of driving is the same! That's why this Golf is so good: it look and feels like a proper car!
They sold a LOT more than 120 2015-2016 e-Golfs in Norway, I promise you. Just for comparison, there are 100 used 2015-2016 e-Golfs on the Norwegian market right now. Some quick googling shows they probably sold 10 000 - 15 000 of the things. The current e-Golf is the second best selling car in Norway, after the Tesla Model 3. (That is why Norway gets the new EVs first).
I know why. Bought one from the last batch, it’s such a good car. I hope i can keep it for quite some time, every time i sit in another EV, it’s either…. Underwhelming (id3, etc) or it’s in another price league (mercedes eqs). There’s no alternative for that budget atm…
I'm a many, many times Golf owner but something just ground the faith out of me and the old adage: "just like a golf", has long gone. I drive a 15 plate Nissan Leaf and believe me its every bit as good and perhaps somewhat better. People need to realise compromises need to be made and the only compromise I see is the mileage and its not that big a deal when you weigh up the alternative 'a polluted world heading to what?'
SuperDiagnostic Me too, funny how if you keep advertising something long enough people believe it. I've owned a few VW / Audi cars and I actually think our Leaf is built better and certainly more reliable.
If you think the 15 plate one is good, the new leaf is bloody amazing. Go for a test drive if you can then come back here and tell me I’m wrong :). I even prefer the look over this golf and I do like golfs.
I thought the loss of eGolf will greatly depress me, having to go eSUVs. To make matters worse for myself, I'm not seeing any VW ID3s around. However I have to thank MG for bringing in their MG 4 and will buy one.
Do Golfs still have the pain in the arse easy-fail central locking actuators? I couldn't consider another Golf until I was sure they had fixed the shoddy design (which I suspect had an element of planned failure about it).
Matt W Probably the same german maker who makes them for Mercedes and others, as well. I have a 2009 C class and OSR door got stuck on lock mode ( put my diagnostic tool and I think is the actuator). £190 with VAT from the dealer. Bought a used one and managed to take the lining first, then the door card. Spoke to a body shop and they ll be able to open the door for me and Ill take it from there. Mercedes would charge like £500 including the part. I dream of a E golf now in estate version. I used to do 75 miles round trip for work, 6 days a week. Now Im doing 15 miles ( we moved closer). I think this makes a lot more sense now.
Awesome video, Johnny. I like the e-Golf very much. The only downside from a technical perspective is the missing active thermal battery management. This would be a no-no here in Australia. Even my 2014 Outlander PHEV has got it and uses the aircon to cool the battery pack of needed. It also has paddles at the steering wheel to adjust the regen in 5 steps, so no need to take your hands off the steering wheel. Still a plug-in hybrid though...
VW really restricts your acceleration in eco mode? I understand de-tuning the accelerator pedal, but when you stomp it, you have to get all of it, no? Seems unsafe otherwise.
That is a fair argument, that also can be used for ICE cars. The good reason to use steel is that it keeps cost lower, so more people get the choice to switch to an electric vehicle when they are buying a new car. Tesla Model 3 is a car mostly made from steel for the same reason, as documented on cleantechnica.com/2017/08/24/tesla-model-3-blending-steel-aluminum-details/
Johnny does a great job. Not being Robert could be a liability, but Johnny is just as great. A light style, pleasant to watch, and helps us keep the focus on the information. Thank you for the amazing job from BOTH of you. Both of you together make one amazing person. :-p
I think EVs are coming to that point when you can take a step back and make your choice based on much more then just the battery size (which is not that bad in this one).
Nice review JS. Just gave back my Golf 7 lease and was sad to see it go. I came very close to leasing a GTE, but my Wife insisted that we go for something different. Now in a Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDI. It's four year lease, so I know for sure that the next car will have electric only propulsion. I'm happy with the Tucson, but I'll be ecstatic once I'm all electric.
A few days ago, VW announced that the successor of the Golf Mk 7.5, the Mk 8, will not be available fully electric. The reason is that their new electric car, the VW I.D, will launch simultaneously and will be Golf-sized. Idk if that is a smart move, however I really like the ID.
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My god these videos are so well put together. It's so relaxing. The fully charged team and Jonny nail it every time. Keep it up please.
I know right, he really have an ability to make relaxed, yet informative and entertaining reviews.
I was just about to say the same thing. Great video and his voice is so smoothing that I'm feeling like I've just gotten out of long bubble bath :)
GUS JOHNSON AND HOW DO YOU THINK YOU CREATE PETROL,YOU NEED ALSO A LOT OF ENERGY TO PRODUCE PETROL AND MUCH LESS TO CHARGE AN ELECTRIC CAR
SOMETIMES YOU BUY PETROL FROM COUNTRIES LIKE SAUDI ARABIA THAT ARE NOT THE GREATEST DEMOCRACIES,OR FROM NIGERIA ,WHERE COMPANIES LIKE SHELL /DUTCH AND ENGLISH DONT CARE AT ALL FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
AND BESIDES ALL THAT YOU CAN PRODUCE ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES
AND WHAT ABOUT FRACKING ,AND PETROL TRANSPORTATION AND PETROL TANKERS ACCIDENTS
AND THE LIST GOES ON
REGARDS
DOV
@@dovstruzer3610 - petrol isn't the cause of environmental damage. That's caused by too many people; who need food, water, shelter etc etc. etc. Electric cars, green politics, socialism are not the solution - less people is the solution.
@Gus Johnson do some research Idiot
What a great video. Jonny's laid back, matter-of-fact style is perfect for this car.
Dom yea I like this guy
He was my favorite presenter on Fifth Gear...
100% agreed.
I’m a big fan of him as well. Great match up for fully charged
I love this dude. I subscribed to this channel because of him.
This guy is perfect to review cars. Very calm, good vibe, precise... Relaxing!
THIS is how new EVs should be looked at on this show, I love Robert's segments but so many of those reviews are just static interior shots of him driving and telling us about the car. We really need walkarounds and to be shown all the ins and outs of the car like what Jonny is doing here. 10/10.
ScottishMichael So true. Jonny has contributed very much and raised the quality notably on this show. More facts, whit an d less flimsyness.
Younger persons consideration 😀
Good. An EV car that doesn't look f**king weird!
Yeah!
Finally!
Apparently, some commenters think otherwise :( But this is RUclips comments section after all...
TheSaintST1 love the looks but they need to drop thoes hideous ev wheels
TheSaintST1 yh bmw i3 is just ugly to me
this is simple and refreshing
TheSaintST1 fucking weird is exactly some people's cup of tea though!
Pitch perfect review, IMO. Although, I'm a bit surprised that Robert didn't want to be the one to review the e-Golf as he's a confirmed Golf fan. Actually, maybe that's a good reason he didn't for the sake of balance.
And all of the digs against VW's "fibby" "cheaty" history were particularly well placed ;)
Again, tremendous respect for the entire Fully Charged team for producing the best EV/renewable energy series out there!
Jonny is a Golf fan as well :)
May be it part of their master plan, Jonny do the cars, Robert do the renewable technologies and they both do the news together.
hmm good review of the review huh.
i love this car. But without this channel i would have never known. Keep up the good work!
Johnson Censored thats why i keep watching these vidoes, surfing the net, and even reading and contributing in comments. Sometimes youll find all sorts of info there.
Thank you for saying everything I've wanted to say about this car. I'm 60+, I've never owned a foreign car and I'm planning on buying a e-gulf. I've driven it and it felt like home to me. Thank you for sharing your experience.
so what is your opinion on egolf after all these years?
I love my e-gulf. It gets me around town. I wouldn’t mind if they could add some mileage. I’ve had my ‘17 since 2019 and the only problems I’ve had is the air went out in ‘23 and had to replace some sort of plugs for it to work. Now I’ve noticed that my mileage isn’t giving me the correct numbers so that means the batteries are starting to degrade . But I will hang on to this for as long as
I can. I bought it for 22,000 and with the air and new tires spent another $3500. The electricity isn’t much, this is a great deal for me.
Good to see that VW is starting to make decent electric cars.
The manual shift of re-gen breaking will feel like shifting gears. Drivers will like that.
have an e-up, it has the same system and its awesome.
I love the re-gen in my egolf, in traffic I dont have to brake and I gain mileage.
epSos.de I thought I would miss that but regen feels the same, no need for stages of regen really. It's 1 pedal driving, people will love it
Loved this particular feature when drove the e-Golf. It was so simple and yet super effective and involving. Every e-car needs this!
Anticipate the road ahead, and I rarely have to actually use Brakes (Mercedes 2014 B200Ci AMG Line 72 mpg achieved relatively easily.
6:50 "Depeche Mode" xD .. for those that don't understand why he says that: it reminds him of the start of the song "Personal Jesus" from Depeche Mode ;)
His understated delivery of that gag was sublime.
"Reach out and touch faith!"
I literally said the same thing out loud, in synch with Jonny. I was highly amused :D
He reminds me of Dave Gahan a little bit too, similar face shape!
Hadn't noticed till I saw your comment, listened to the start of personal Jesus, and yep, it's the same sound lol!
He was subtle about it because he said it sounded like Personal Jesus in his Golf GTE review a few months ago on this channel. Obviously didn't want to repeat himself.
Love Jonny’s reviews and style.
Agreed! I think Robert made a great choice in recruiting him.
Me too! Jonny perfectly fits Fully Charged. His factual pro-EV style with right amount of humor at the right place is lovely. For Robert it's the same - could not remember any better host for Fully Charged... ;o) Thanks a lot and keep on going! (From Lower-Saxony, where the Golfs are build (but sorry, VW is absolutely not my preferred brand... ;o)))
The question is... Will VW bring this car to all markets?
Hopefully VW will get serious about EVs and bring the new electric platform to a wide range of models. So far, lots of talk but very few EVs actually built. Please test drive the e-Golf. it's a very good car.
It is available in quite a few markets, including the US. But I don't think VW is going to push this model much more. Their next generation EVs are all going to be built on a completely new platform - not converted ICE vehicles, but EVs from the ground up. When they launch two years from now, they will fairly quickly replace all existing EV offerings that VW has in its portfolio.
Streetwind when MQB was only in design, VW mentioned that MQB is being built with electric drive in mind. And judging by the fact they've squized 38,5kwh battery in this one, while Nissan had 30 in designed from scratch EV - they succeeded.
Also, MQB platform is not just the Golf. Even much larger Tiguan (and there will be new 7-seat crossover soon) and Passat are based on MQB these days.
Nissan will soon have 40kWH on the same old chassis, fairly quickly followed by 60kWH. That's more to do with battery tech developments, than good platform design. Do the seats fold flat? Check out the Hyundai Ioniq for a good modern platform - Hybrid, plug in hybrid and EV.
Also, will they offer a station wagon version? There could even be room for a little more battery...
The heat pump is an absolute must. It makes a huge difference. Should be standard.
Also I really hope VW dealers actually care about selling this car. My dealer wasn't interested once I said I wanted the eGolf. He said they don't stock them. He even told me they'd stopped making them.
+Joseph Buckton I had the same experience from a couple of Nissan dealers when attempting to check out a Leaf. I ended spending much too much on a Tesla (love the car, hate how much money I had to spend to get it).
When they can make money from it, they will rip you off, everyone makes the same, look at Tesla
Wow. Those dealers are also "Big Oil"? It seems to be the entire existing industry trapped in the past.
Funny - I had the complete opposite - they couldn't do enough for me. Chatting later it turned out they thought I was a mystery shopper from Nissan - presumably nobody else ever enquired about Leafs around here!
Thats what happened when i wanted a pacifica hybrid
You are now my favorite reviewer! The on screen miles to kilometers conversion is so welcome! I don't understand why European reviewers suddenly began telling stuff in miles... thanks for the on screen conversion :)
Excellent balance of technical information and sheer car entertainment. Nice one Johnny...and nice one Robert for getting some help!
Thanks for this review. Convinced me. Was delivered last week and is my first EV.
Thanks for what you're doing, guys. Your videos made me change my vision concerning EVs.
how is it?
2:19
*"It's not revolution, it's E-volution"* Good one buddy
Another excellent review by Mr Smith. I like his laid back approach, the perfect complement to Mr Llewellyn's slightly manic but equally enjoyable style.
I love the comfy vibe this channel gives me. And I've always loved Johnnys reviewing style.
This is why I haven't watched tv in 3 years, the youtube community is far superior in many ways and this one is exceptional
That was a superb edit. This will help change people’s perception of EV.
FC is getting even better and better on every single episode. Cheers from Morocco
This review was so good. So professional. Johnny is damn good car journalist.
This eGolf is now available in Canada as of April '18.
Got to Test drive this eGolf yesterday from a coworker that just got it four weeks ago, and as u said Johnny its church quiet, vety refined and super smooth to drive. Instant torque gives u a bit of a shove in the back if u step on it. In Canada its rated for 200km range but my friend is getting 250km regularly (in 9 charges now). One really cool feature that u guys didn't mention (not sure if it's been added new just now) is the windshield has a instant demisting feature built into the glass (no blower fan for front window at all, it has been removed).
A lot of people will fall in love with this car if they test drive it.
So after all the BS with the Diesel, the best new VW out is an electric, and that goes to show you that if they want to (or have to) do a great EV, they can. It's just a shame it took so much fussing and messing about to get there.
Great review. I've been waiting 18 years for this car, all it took was Dieselgate for VW to make haste.
The e-Golf was launched and available before dieselgate.
24kWh to 35.8kWh - it now has decent range among other improvements. VW actually being honest about the stats.
Its Very disappointing that the NEW VW polo (New not refresh) out this Autumn does NOT have an electric version apparently VW say they have the new ID range which will be out in a few years :-( yep that magical 2020 date again...........
actually it was 2019 wasn't it? They said they would "electrify" their entire range of new cars. Most people assume that means having hybrid and EV's.
why can't they make it so that they can swap in the electric system to even the big ol' Amarok
Agree! I was really hoping for an electric Polo to be released. For me, an "e-Polo" would be perfect for me as a car nr. 2. The e-UP is too small and has too short range. The e-Golf has sufficient range, but it's a bit too big, in terms of what I really need. As well as a bit too expensive, considering it will only be used as a smaller, car #2 for shorter drives.
Don't wanna wait until 2019/2020, so I might just go for the "e-Golf". I got a new one for a test-drive about a week ago and I was pleasantly surprised.
Another fab, insightful review with chunks of stats plopped in left right and centre. Nice one Johnny! 👌
I really like Johnny's presentation style. It feels effortless. Very laid back and casual and yet he's articulate, precise and on point. Well done!
Great review once again, wonderful camera work and editing!
Really liking Jonny's presentations.
They are like you're having a chat with a friend.
Worth mentioning that the digital dash you had in this one is a £470 option!
I've been trying to get an order confirmed for ages.. been told it should finally go through tomorrow :-) I'm taking that digital dash because the analogue one looks rather dated and I'm used to a ZOE!
Jonny Smith thanks for doing these on this global platform with the Fully Charged crew. Your services are advancing the world and helping the environment. Thanks!
Should've listed the Renault ZOE. Cheaper and bigger battery.
The Renault ZOE is also a much smaller car, designed for city driving.
If you drive on the highway the e-Golf will take you almost as long on its 35.8 kWh battery, despite being a larger car, as the long range ZOE does on its 41 kWh battery.
As for pricing it the difference becomes smaller when you consider the extras added to the e-Golf. First of all the battery is included in the e-Golf, the same goes for the rapid charging, rear camera, heated seats, electric windows and the engine also needs an upgrade from the one in the basic ZOE. And then there are the extras you get and can get on an e-Golf that isn't available for the ZOE, like adaptive cruise control, lane assist, navigation system with voice and gesture controls, dynamic light and high beam assist, park assist to mention just a few.
Sure you can get a cheaper ZOE with a bigger battery, but it would in no way be comparable to what you get in the e-Golf.
"cheaper", yes ;)
The 40kWh Zoe with the cost of the battery is only 2000 Euro cheaper than an e-Golf with the heat-pump. Not to mention that the e-Golf is much bigger, has a better suspension, better interior quality and a host of safety as standard and optional that is not even offered on the Zoe.
A renault? No. Not a chance. The reviews about it just go on and on about the terrible build quality. And it's french!
I stopped buying Renaults when I found out where they put the oil filter on my Kangoo.
I only discovered fullycharged about two weeks back and I'm addicted. I've learnt so much about EV's, I'm really getting into it and I never thought I would. They make it exciting an interesting and the presenters is the best ever. I've only seen Robert, Maddie and Jonny but they are easy to watch and follow. What a joy to listen to Jonny in this video. I have a Golf and I've not been sold on EV's one bit till I started following fulllycharged. I'm definitely a petrol head and conservative in nature and Jonny pretty much sold this car to me. If I go EV, I will go and look at the Golf first. It love the fact that it looks like a normal car in every way, and especially like a Golf. Please don't change it VW, don't replace the interior with an iPad!
Well, they did. That’s why the value of used eGolf is so high. People love this thing, it’s such a great car.
Thank you for a great episode! I've enjoyed it very much! Keep on!
Great job, Jonny. Smart, sensible, easy to listen to and plenty of info. With a light touch of humour. Thanks to the Fully Charged gang.
Suggestion for Robert - obviously Johnny is the car expert and this is a phenomenal review. Robert's car reviews are fun, but rather wishy-washy and not very informed nor informative (sorry Rob - a bit of tough love there). Robert's strengths are his passion for encouraging the EV/Renewables revolution, his industry news, analysis, critiques, and the coverage of the movers and shakers in this space (Orkney etc). So please let Johnny do the car reviews and car/tech analysis, and Robert stick with the big picture stuff. And of course, keep doing the co-hosting of the news and analysis pieces, those are great. Keep up the great work.
I love how he described the missing of exhaust pipe "In the old cars there used to be an exhaust pipe" then whispering "now it doesn't have it; it doesn't need it, coz it's electric". It not only gives the sense of clean, but quietness too! The two main attractive features of an electric car.
As soon as I heard the chimes when you got in it I sang “Reach out touch faith”!😂😂👍
Great review. Why watch any of the 'car' shows on TV when you can watch top class stuff like this whenever you want?!
I love the way Johnny bounces through a pot hole right at the beginning. :D
This car makes me second guess my Model 3 reservation. I drive a Golf now; I imagine the range on the e-Golf will have improved in two years, too.
I think I would have an i3, I think Golfs are a bit dull. The i3 the most market leading car BMW have done since the Mk1 3 series, it should have Mini badge on it though its really more of a Mini than Beemer
It doesn't matter if it's Johnny or Robert hosting the fully charged videos, they are always informative and awesome.
How about the battery cooling system? Very important topic not mentioned.
José María Vela indeed, I wonder
José María Vela the battery is only cooled by air on the egolf, so no active cooling.
Daniel Skalt thanks. Bad solution in my opinion.
That’s a bit rubbish then.
It is not as bad as people always think. As long as the batteries operate below 60C it is not a huge deal. What is more problematic are cold temperatures at which Lithium starts to freeze and it reduces the capacity of the cells. Cooling has some negative sides - for instance: where does the energy for the cooling pumps come from? You will have to get it from the battery and the pumps need a lot of power to get the cooling fluid fast enough throughout the whole battery pack. And during the maintenance, when you have to replace certain battery cells, you would have to pump out all of the liquid before you´d be able to take out the battery and in the end it has to be refilled. This results in higher costs for consumers and it is a total mess for the people servicing the car.
My 2017 e-Golf, 70,000 miles later, is still great.
I just love Johnny's reviews
This guy is one of the best motor journalists around. Very informative and tells you all the things you want to know. Top Gear maybe .... ??
The lovely “active display” digital dials are sadly a £500 option
True, but when you first buy the new e-Golf, I would, without a doubt, get it with the Active Info Display. Will probably be easier to sell the second hand market afterwards, as the analog tach-/speedometer is really getting dated.
Another brilliant FC episode. Such a relaxed and honest style, Jonny - thanks so much. I'm fed up with over too-enthusiastic, fake-excited, over the top reporting of ANYTHING let alone car reviews. This was so calm, relaxed, informative... AND you pronounce Volkswagen correctly. Thank you thank you :o)
As for the car itself, well, it's a Golf. People will buy it because it's a Golf and anything to move us more towards EV is a good thing IMO. Not sure on all the modes - the vast majority of Golf drivers won't understand or care about that; they just want to get in the car and drive A to B.
Excellent Review Jonny.
I would like to give a review myself (American washington state owner). We have a 2019 egolf. Our house is powered with solar panels. We have a 2019 VW Atlas which we rarely drive. I love the e golf, its fast, it charges just fine on 110v fully, and our kids love being in it. Best of all since we rarely drive our gas powered car and produce our own power it had been cheeper and more fun to drive.
Can’t agree more! Only downside for people interested in these cars is the price, they don’t get cheap, and used cars are quite wanted. Good for people who already have one 😉
Absolutely superb review of a car,totally honest and you feel his telling true from start to finish. Petrol car's have had its 100 year+ raine.Its now the start of electric and other technologys to play there part in are history ,not just help use as Species,but to be a part in healing planet we call Home.EARTH.
nice review by Mr. Smith, as always.. appreciate the good work by the fullychargedshow team. thanks
I would want a 60 kWh battery, but other than that I have no complaints. It checks all the boxes. I like that it has a hatch in the rear instead of a trunk. I need to be able to haul bulky things now and then.
And some people have dogs. And last time I checked it's not really legal to split your dog in halves to put in the back and another half in your Tesla's "frunk". In most countries.
Good video. Almost makes you forget it's a sub 200 mile compliance car.
Nice review, nice supporting graphics and nice accidental Partridge.
We Are Always Impressed With How The E-Golf Drives! Love The Acceleration~!
Would like to echo Dom's feedback! This video is top class! Congrats Fullychardged! And what a great car this VW E-Golf. Will this become Tesla's nightmare;-). Welcome to the front row of electrical cars!
What a relaxing road test...not a bad relaxing either. Very nicely done!
Two questions: was Mrs Llewellyn filmed geeking/squeeing out over the e-Golf? And, if so, will that ever surface on t'interwebs? =]
If you want to see someone geeking out about the e-Golf take a look at Bjørn Nyland testing the adaptive headlights and wishing he could get them on his Tesla at ruclips.net/video/Mqqws2Xde7Y/видео.html remember also to watch part two where he finds out how to make them work. BTW. Optimus Prime is his Tesla Model X.
It’s not “REV”olution, it’s “E”volution. Was this an accident, if not you are a genius. Timestamp 2:21
dame this guy does a great job, I'm not even in the market to buy a new car but i just love watching him do his thing. its even better when married with a good car
Great video as always... Really like the look of this car, But the Zoe is cheaper and as a longer range, although it does make me think.
It is all about what you need and want.
The ZOE is a great supermini, with a decent range and a starting price held low with battery rentals. The e-Golf is a small family car, that comes with a lot of extras from the start and offers even more for the family that wants more than a ZOE can give in both space and convenience. The LEAF has the disadvantage that we all know that there is a longer range version coming in a year or so and the IONIQ EV have had some delivery problems. Finally there is the BMW i3, but it seems a bit expensive compared to the rest, however if you like it that is also a nice car(had a drive in one yesterday).
I have it now for 3 month, drove 10.000 km with it and I love it!
I think it's still not a good time to have a electric car yet because compare to fuel there 2 basic reason why,
1. Range
2. refueling time (charging time)
tan hock jun Agreed. I can do 600+ miles some days driving for work. I can that that on one tank of diesel. Re-fuelling time, 6 minutes. I think government are really going to have to help with rebates if they want to reduce pollution. Either that or it's going to take decades for EV's to become mainstream. My thinking is that a good hybrid is the way forward for at least the next 20-30 years.
What car are you driving? For me I driving Nissan NV350
tan hock jun Hyundai Santa Fe. 2.0 ltr
LennyG2006 I am not sure about Hyundai cars but a diesel engine should be reliable but how about the rest of the car?
U might have 3 times the range but u pay at least 3 to 6 times the amount for fuel. Charge while u eat n sleep.
I used to drive a diesel Golf until about 5 years ago and was very happy with it. I used it for work and when I retired it felt a little "tired" having done 200,000 miles.
When I replaced it I did not buy another Golf as it was too expensive and I would be doing considerably fewer miles. I considered an EV, even though they were even more expensive because I like the idea, but at the time the market had not really taken off and choice was limited.
For the majority of my journeys an EV would be fine but I do the occasional longer journey and I don't know how I would manage the recharging. Typical longer journeys would be from mid Suffolk to Selsey in Sussex (about 160 miles), returning the next day, and mid Suffolk to Grantham and return the same day(about 180 miles)
At the Selsey destination there would be no possibility of overnight charging, nor at the Grantham destination during the day. As I say, I do not understand how I would manage recharging in either case.
I realise that my reaction is typical of someone who does not own an EV but can anyone explain how recharging could work in my examples ?
That was an awesome video. Thanks!
Actually John made a very good point: most of people (me too) don't want futuristic bulls**t, we need normal cars and who cares what powers them, process of driving is the same! That's why this Golf is so good: it look and feels like a proper car!
Excellent review. Thanks!
They sold a LOT more than 120 2015-2016 e-Golfs in Norway, I promise you. Just for comparison, there are 100 used 2015-2016 e-Golfs on the Norwegian market right now. Some quick googling shows they probably sold 10 000 - 15 000 of the things. The current e-Golf is the second best selling car in Norway, after the Tesla Model 3. (That is why Norway gets the new EVs first).
I know why. Bought one from the last batch, it’s such a good car. I hope i can keep it for quite some time, every time i sit in another EV, it’s either…. Underwhelming (id3, etc) or it’s in another price league (mercedes eqs). There’s no alternative for that budget atm…
I always laugh when he recognizes the Depeche Mode sound.
How do you switch it into Depeche mode?
I noticed that too.
RWBHere You reach out and touch fade.
I've always loved the golf and this is really excellent, it's efficient, beautifully engineered, and has no compromises
I'm a many, many times Golf owner but something just ground the faith out of me and the old adage: "just like a golf", has long gone. I drive a 15 plate Nissan Leaf and believe me its every bit as good and perhaps somewhat better. People need to realise compromises need to be made and the only compromise I see is the mileage and its not that big a deal when you weigh up the alternative 'a polluted world heading to what?'
SuperDiagnostic Me too, funny how if you keep advertising something long enough people believe it. I've owned a few VW / Audi cars and I actually think our Leaf is built better and certainly more reliable.
how is your driver seat doing?
If you think the 15 plate one is good, the new leaf is bloody amazing. Go for a test drive if you can then come back here and tell me I’m wrong :). I even prefer the look over this golf and I do like golfs.
I thought the loss of eGolf will greatly depress me, having to go eSUVs. To make matters worse for myself, I'm not seeing any VW ID3s around. However I have to thank MG for bringing in their MG 4 and will buy one.
Do Golfs still have the pain in the arse easy-fail central locking actuators? I couldn't consider another Golf until I was sure they had fixed the shoddy design (which I suspect had an element of planned failure about it).
Matt W Probably the same german maker who makes them for Mercedes and others, as well. I have a 2009 C class and OSR door got stuck on lock mode ( put my diagnostic tool and I think is the actuator). £190 with VAT from the dealer. Bought a used one and managed to take the lining first, then the door card. Spoke to a body shop and they ll be able to open the door for me and Ill take it from there. Mercedes would charge like £500 including the part. I dream of a E golf now in estate version. I used to do 75 miles round trip for work, 6 days a week. Now Im doing 15 miles ( we moved closer). I think this makes a lot more sense now.
Awesome video, Johnny. I like the e-Golf very much. The only downside from a technical perspective is the missing active thermal battery management. This would be a no-no here in Australia. Even my 2014 Outlander PHEV has got it and uses the aircon to cool the battery pack of needed. It also has paddles at the steering wheel to adjust the regen in 5 steps, so no need to take your hands off the steering wheel. Still a plug-in hybrid though...
VW really restricts your acceleration in eco mode? I understand de-tuning the accelerator pedal, but when you stomp it, you have to get all of it, no? Seems unsafe otherwise.
Kickdown gives you 100% power, so yes.
Then don't use that mode.
Thanks for this video man, I really appreciated it!!
This looks interesting but look at empty space! This car could have double the range.
Hey... its Jonny here :) Did not expect that!
I find the E-golf way better then Tesla, it is perfect as second car for the city
A bit disappointed you ignored the new leaf in this discussion.
or the Ampera-E
Loved this video. Loved the style, loved the music, loved his attitude. Great stuff
Jonny Smith is outstanding, he can sell water to the well. Good presentation good video.thumbs up
Great upload/review
Props to Jonny Smith, great journalist and on-camera personality
e-Vehicles need to be made from Aluminum or lighter materials to reduce weight.
That is a fair argument, that also can be used for ICE cars.
The good reason to use steel is that it keeps cost lower, so more people get the choice to switch to an electric vehicle when they are buying a new car. Tesla Model 3 is a car mostly made from steel for the same reason, as documented on cleantechnica.com/2017/08/24/tesla-model-3-blending-steel-aluminum-details/
See VW's new MQB (Modular Transverse Matrix) architecture
carmagazine.co.uk/spy-shots/volkswagen/vw-golf-mk7-2013-the-inside-story/
Johnny does a great job. Not being Robert could be a liability, but Johnny is just as great. A light style, pleasant to watch, and helps us keep the focus on the information. Thank you for the amazing job from BOTH of you. Both of you together make one amazing person. :-p
Once you spec it up to a Tecna Leaf cost is over £36000
"K"
This is my favorite episode with Johnny! And honestly the episode that hooked me to this show!
It should cost £ 22000 to compete on the market of the New Nissan Leaf with Pro Pilot and 40 Kwh Renault Zoe.
I think EVs are coming to that point when you can take a step back and make your choice based on much more then just the battery size (which is not that bad in this one).
build quality
Watched this video, drove one, bought one of the last ones this week. Amazing car 🙂👍
Not enough!
VW is still playing with a serious time line!
Why not a 60kWh battery now?! Before Nissan do it?!
These shows just keep getting better. Well done, guys.
Real chill review.
Nice review JS. Just gave back my Golf 7 lease and was sad to see it go. I came very close to leasing a GTE, but my Wife insisted that we go for something different. Now in a Hyundai Tucson 1.7 CRDI. It's four year lease, so I know for sure that the next car will have electric only propulsion. I'm happy with the Tucson, but I'll be ecstatic once I'm all electric.
Really excellent review, thanks Jonny !
Another competent all-electric car! It's very heartening to see the roster slowly growing.
Not much battery for the money yet, especially if you only want to use the middle 40-50% for better life
A few days ago, VW announced that the successor of the Golf Mk 7.5, the Mk 8, will not be available fully electric. The reason is that their new electric car, the VW I.D, will launch simultaneously and will be Golf-sized. Idk if that is a smart move, however I really like the ID.
Wonder what's the EPA miles for this car...
a quick google says its 125 miles