New Volkswagen eGolf offers more power and more range

2017 Volkswagen e-Golf (Volkswagen)

Volkswagen has announced that the latest-generation plug-in electric Golf will come with an EPA-estimated range of 200 km when it goes on sale in the U.S. this spring.

That's a 50 per cent improvement on the outgoing model yet as well as going further, the new Golf should be able to get there more quickly thanks to a revised electric motor that offers 134hp (up from 115hp in the old model).

Despite a more potent motor, the car can go further on a single charge because of improved and more efficient battery chemistry. And even though 200 km is still some way off the range of a Chevrolet Bolt or a Tesla, VW's latest car will come with a 7.2 kW on-board charger as standard in higher trim specification models and this will allow the battery to recharge completely in under six hours at a 240-volt charging station.

With the optional DC charger the car can top up its batteries by 80 per cent in under an hour at a DC fast-charging station.