Science

The All-Electric VW Golf Is Just as Sporty as the Original

Volkswage News/YouTube

Volkswagen has released a new promotional video of the forthcoming 2017 e-Golf, and it looks fantastic. The all-electric vehicle was introduced back in November, but on Friday the company gave its best look yet at its battery-powered hatchback that maintains the sleek style of the original.

The car, which goes on sale this spring, makes some welcome adjustments to the previous year’s model. This year, the battery has increased in capacity from 24.2 kilowatt-hours to 35.8 kilowatt-hours, giving a range boost of 50 percent to reach 125 miles on each charge.

Alongside the added range, the car has also received a small power boost. Capable of achieving zero to 60 miles per hour in just 9.3 seconds, the 100-kilowatt motor packs a 134 horsepower punch, a 19 horsepower improvement over the initial model. This results in a maximum torque of 214 pound-feet, where the previous model achieved just 199 pound-feet.

Charging is a breeze. When it was demonstrated at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, the company stated that it could charge in an hour from a CCS station, or over a 34-hour period from a standard wall socket.

Inside, the car features a number of passenger-focused additions. The media system is now an eight-inch screen, up from the 6.5-inch featured in earlier models, and retains the same smartphone compatibility through the likes of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The optional Volkswagen Digital Cockpit integrates a 12.3-inch screen for a more premium feel.

Pricing starts at around $30,000, making it a competitor to the likes of the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt. Volkswagen has some tough competition on its hands: when the e-Golf first debuted as a 2015 model, electric cars were far more obscure and the notion of a mainstream electric vehicle seemed futuristic. When Tesla starts producing the [Model 3](](https://www.inverse.com/topic/tesla-model-3) in July, Volkswagen will have another entry-level competitor on its hands.

Watch the vehicle in action here:

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