2015 SEL price

[JoulesThief]

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[JoulesThief]

Is it a couple of weeks yet? Pics?, or is it still sitting in Boston?

 

[Rsolaregolf]

We pick it up Tuesday in Concord NH at the Courtyard Marriott where I can charge it before driving the last 80 miles home. The salesman is driving from Medford MA to Concord. I'm thinking of stopping in N Woodstock ( Woodstock Station) for a bit more charge just to be sure I can make it, as it is quite hilly in this area.

The safety recall and TT on the climate control have been done (so we were told) .

We will have 20 day plates on it and will register it May 2nd.

pix to follow

 

[JoulesThief]

We pick it up Tuesday in Concord NH at the Courtyard Marriott where I can charge it before driving the last 80 miles home. The salesman is driving from Medford MA to Concord. I'm thinking of stopping in N Woodstock ( Woodstock Station) for a bit more charge just to be sure I can make it, as it is quite hilly in this area.

The safety recall and TT on the climate control have been done (so we were told) .

We will have 20 day plates on it and will register it May 2nd.

pix to follow

Keep it at 50 going up hills, behind a big slow truck, and 60 mph the rest of the time, don't accelerate hard, use D1 going down hill by pressing the shift column left once when going down hill, then right again to remove, before the flats, and you should make it home no problem. Franconia is the same elevation as Concord?

Load up the CarNet App on your phone ASAP. Alternately, watching your dash will tell you when you are close to fully charged, as will not touching the brake pedal and pressing the start /stop button to look at the battery fuel gauge.

Slow and steady will save you a stop driving home... 55-60 mph and you should have 20 miles of range left when you get home.

Edit, you go from 262 ft ASL to 1040 ft ASL. That will cost you 6 to 8 miles of range.
55mph should net you 6 miles per kwh. figure 21.2 useable, and you'd prefer to keep that down to no more than 18 or 19 used. 19 x 5.5 = 104.5 miles on a charge, less 8 miles for elevation gain is 96.5 miles range. Concord to Franconia is 79 miles. If you slow down, you have plenty of reserve, probably somewhere around 1/4 charge left in the battery. 79 miles/5.5 miles per kw = 14.4 kw used plus about 2 kwh, for elevation gain - 16.4 out of 21.2 kwh.

Don't watch the range meter, watch the fuel gauge, once you get to the bottom of any hill, with using D1 braking, or D2, or pull straight back to "B" if you need to slow down in a hurry. Your stick shift is like a hand brake. VW's execution of this is brilliant, 4 different levels of braking... take your pick. Use it so you don't need to step on the brake pedal, and you'll maximize regeneration back into the battery.

Your battery pack and the amount of energy in it is small, very, very small, coming from a TDI. You do need to micro manage your speed on freeways and interstates to maximize battery range, by turning ancillary stuff off and slowing down to 55-60 mph. Slowing down increases your range exponentially, saving charging time at unnecessary stops.

Trust me on this. Slow down, use the cruise control to keep your speed in check. Disregard the herd mentality.

 

[JoulesThief]

Use the Beta version of a Nissan Leaf in this. 1.0 is a speed factor of 70 mph. .85 is a speed factor of about 60 mph. You can see how much less you use going from Concord to Franconia if you slow down.... discharging driving fast is 3x faster depletion rate than charging rate at 70- 75mph. Going 60 mph really extends your miles per kwh.

https://evtripplanner.com/planner/2-6/?id=u44g

 

[Rsolaregolf]

Thanks for the tips JT. If I understand correctly charging at level 2 at the Courtyard (they have 2, level 2 chargers) will go most quickly up to 80%. I was then planning to take Rt3, a 2 lane rd, from Concord to Tilton NH. Then get on the I93 about 20-25 miles as there are no good 2 lanes parallel to I93 in this area. Then back on 2 lanes up to Franconia notch. The stop at the Woodstock Station is to replenish myself, i.e. lunch, as much as the eGolf. It should just give me a bit of peace of mind to plug it in while I'm eating.

Then it's up through the notch, elevation 2K+ down to Franconia then up to our home in Sugar Hill at 1500'.

I understand the concept of regenerative braking though it will take a bit practice to perfect it I'm sure. In my past life I drove a TT so the concept of engine braking (regenerative in the eGolf's case) is well understood.

I'll report on my trip back N soon.

 

[JoulesThief]

Thanks for the tips JT. If I understand correctly charging at level 2 at the Courtyard (they have 2, level 2 chargers) will go most quickly up to 80%. I was then planning to take Rt3, a 2 lane rd, from Concord to Tilton NH. Then get on the I93 about 20-25 miles as there are no good 2 lanes parallel to I93 in this area. Then back on 2 lanes up to Franconia notch. The stop at the Woodstock Station is to replenish myself, i.e. lunch, as much as the eGolf. It should just give me a bit of peace of mind to plug it in while I'm eating.

Then it's up through the notch, elevation 2K+ down to Franconia then up to our home in Sugar Hill at 1500'.

I understand the concept of regenerative braking though it will take a bit practice to perfect it I'm sure. In my past life I drove a TT so the concept of engine braking (regenerative in the eGolf's case) is well understood.

I'll report on my trip back N soon.

The Level 2 at Marriot will not go quickly, or 30 minutes..., more like 2.5 to 3.5 hours... it's a level 2 charger, maybe 6kwh. Read your new owners manual while waiting. Or, if Marriot proves problematic with ChargePoint, or not working, go back into town and stop at the Nissan Dealership during open hours. http://api.plugshare.com/view/location/17926

Use the planner... and use Sugar Hill for your destination. That is adding more elevation, about 400 more feet. If you can slow down on
Rt 3 to 50-55 mph for 40 or more miles, that will help a lot increase range.

https://evtripplanner.com/planner/2-6/?id=u5mm

Plan a stop at another charging point that's Level 2 and 6.6kwh 240V or 208V for a couple of hours to pick up a spare 12 kw in your battery before the last leg home.

This one looks good, near the Notch. Indian Head Resort, stop in and have a beer or something to eat, and the charge is free. http://api.plugshare.com/view/location/37570


Hmmm, this one looks better. :mrgreen: http://api.plugshare.com/view/location/19969

You have GOT to have contingency plans with these rechargers not working, when using public recharging infrastructure.

You will find the e-Golf is a good local driver, if you recharge at home. You will also find that you have to do a LOT of planning ahead on range and where to recharge, if you drive places and distances that require recharging on the road. Have your Charge Point card activated while at the Hotel by the VW assistant that drops your car off. Ask the dealership to provide that Charge Point card, that it is in the glove box. It's free, it comes with the car, make sure you get it and activate it and put it on your key chain.


Hint: If you live on top of a mountain, like near the top of Sugar Hill, and drive down hill every morning, any time you go anywhere... do Not charge to 100% at home... figure out with Car Net how to charge to 90% or 85%, so that you can use gravity every morning with "B" mode to recharge your battery, and not use up your brake pads. Regenerative braking "B" mode will not work very well, or at all, with more than a 90% SOC, as there is nowhere to store the electricity, if your battery is already full.

 

[Rsolaregolf]

I had planned to read the owner's manual while charging and I am aware it will take several hrs at best to get 80%. The dealer is activating the chargepoint card for us and will explain it use.

Yes, the Woodstock Station certainly has much better craft brewed malt beverages( their own) then the Indian Head. They pour a very nice black and tan and have a delicious 4000 Footer IPA. (named after the 40, 4000'+ mt peaks in NH)

From N Woodstock I can take RT 112, the back way through Kinsman Notch, a very nice 2 lane rd (40 mph speed limit for the most part) and almost traffic free Other than the climb up the notch and the road from the Easton Valley to our house the road is mostly flat. It's actually a shorter drive that way to our house in the "suburbs" of Sugar Hill. We took our Miata out for the first time yesterday since last fall and went exactly that way. We drove by the Station and noted a "Masshole's" SUV parked in the EV charging spot. I doubt if that will be an issue midweek as tourist season isn't happening here yet but I know a number of people at the Station and if someone is parked there and not charging I'll ask them to ask the owner to move it.

Since we have the TDI for longer trips, we intend to use the eGolf exclusively for local driving which comprises about half of our driving. It will get us to many places we would normally take the TDI, without charging except at home with our solar tracker. We've been generating 60+kwh/day recently so we have a surplus, thus the choice of the eGolf. I'm thinking of our driving style and local trips and the 110V charger should work fine for us. If necessary we could add a 240V charger. Most of our EV trips will total less than 50 miles.

I also understand about some battery space necessary for the regenerative braking to work and was planning to charge to 90% at home as it is downhill on every road from Sugar Hill into the surrounding valleys.

One ?, how much does the charging slow down after the 80% charge level?

thanks

 

[JoulesThief]

One ?, how much does the charging slow down after the 80% charge level?

thanks[/quo.5 tte]

At a PUBLIC level 2 charging, with 208-240V, the charging will not slow down until the last notch on the gas gauge, just short of full. Actually, half of that notch to full, or about 97 to 98% State of Charge. That's usually the last 10-15 minutes of charging for a measly .5 to 1 kw being added. If your charging time gauge number in the lower right hand corner of your dash says you have 20-15 minutes left to recharge, press the door unlock button on the drivers side door inside, and get to the charge port within 30 seconds, and unplug the charger cord and start driving... This is at a public 30 amp level 2 charger . That last 15 to 20 minutes might at most add 3 or 4 miles range to your total distance, not worth the time on a public level 2 charger in day time, different circumstance if over nighting.

Normally, an hour of charging at a 208V 30 amp public level 2 charger will add, at most, 25 to 30 miles of driving range in an HOUR. Because of this slow charging rate, you save more time driving slower, than the time you waste recharging, if you need to make a lot of miles in a day. You can discharge that battery 3 to 4x faster than you can recharge on a level 2 charger. So it pays to drive slower, and save time at the recharger, if you need to recharge several times in a day.

There are only 2 ways to unlock the charger handle to remove on your 2015. Pressing the door unlock button on the drivers door from the drivers seat, or pressing "unlock" button on your keyfob, once, sometimes twice is necessary. If it doesn't release, press "lock" from your keyfob, then "unlock", then remove the handle.

If you are unsuccessful at removing the charger handle, ALWAYS press it all the way back in, after tugging on it, then retry the "unlock" button on the keyfob. Tugging on the handle can cause tension and the unlock solenoid to "stick" in the locked position, too much pressure up against the latch of the charger handle. So press the charger handle all the way back in, and then retry to unlock, and remove the handle.

If you are recharging and your door is locked, you might try touching the sensor on the drivers side door handle, open the door, close it, to keep it from relocking in 30 seconds, then hustle back to the charge handle within 30 seconds, and see if the charge handle is unlocked and can be removed... I have been meaning to try and test this on my 2015 SEL to see if it works.

Otherwise, open the drivers side door and press the "unlock" button upwards, next to the mirror adjust switch. Then walk to the back of the car and remove the charge handle.

 

[JoulesThief]

One other thing, it's really not good for the battery to run the fuel gauge down into the "red" zone. Red means stop, immediately, and fix what you are doing that is wrong, in this case, get a recharge. I try to get a recharge when I am down to 1/4 of a "tank" or battery recharge left, and rarely run it any lower. Like you, I am an owner, car is not on lease, so I need to baby the battery a bit, if it's going to last.

 

[Rsolaregolf]

Thanks for the help/insight JT. I'd buy you a cold one if you were at the Station tomorrow :mrgreen: . BTW I can stop at the Common Man in Plymouth if need be for a top up. http://www.plugshare.com/?location=20751#

 

[Rsolaregolf]

Dan, the salesman at Colonial just call and is emailing me the info so I can get the Chargepoint card activated today and ready to work tomorrow when we get to the Marriott in Concord. He will be driving up I93 about 60 miles and said he plans on driving 60mph....we'll see. I intend to get there before him to check the screen before we start charging as you suggested. He stated it has been detailed and he will leave with a full charge.

 

[JoulesThief]

Dan, the salesman at Colonial just call and is emailing me the info so I can get the Chargepoint card activated today and ready to work tomorrow when we get to the Marriott in Concord. He will be driving up I93 about 60 miles and said he plans on driving 60mph....we'll see. I intend to get there before him to check the screen before we start charging as you suggested. He stated it has been detailed and he will leave with a full charge.

60 mile / 5.0 miles per kwh = 12 kw used... might be 13 or a bit more if some elevation gain. Look for about 1/3 left, or needle at about 10 to 10:30 on a face clock. A 2 hour charge there, or at the local Nissan dealership ( no charge, or flip them 2 or 3 bucks) if need be and you can't get the Marriot to work, or they want to bill you for electricity. Hope the Nissan dealership is still open when VW guy arrives, check their hours of business.

This is the screen you want showing in the infotainment center. Maybe take a picture of yours, once you find it, so we can compare statistics, and host it and post the link to it up here in this thread.

 

[Rsolaregolf]

So they delivered our eGolf about 8:30 this AM in Concord. He must have driven it a bit hard as the screen showed 3.9 mi/kWh. Knowing I93 during rush hour if your not going 70mph or more you chance getting rear ended. I charged it back up at 5.9kWh according to the ChargePoint screen at the Marriott. It took just over 3 hrs. Taking 2 lane roads I got 4.5mi/kWH but there were many hills. I did hope for a bit better as I was driving with a "robin egg" between my shoe sole and the power pedal. I also tried the cruise control but it didn't seem to matter. I only had to use the brake pedal once when I got cut off. The regenerative braking works great. Stopped at the Station for a quick charge and "Last Chair" brown IPA....nice. I could have made it home but felt better with the extra bit of both juices.

Will post pix sometime.

One ?, occasionally a key fob battery low message appears briefly on the screen between the round "gauges" but everything seems to be working just fine.
Great ride and a nice compliment to our TDI Passat.

 

[JoulesThief]

So they delivered our eGolf about 8:30 this AM in Concord. He must have driven it a bit hard as the screen showed 3.9 mi/kWh. Knowing I93 during rush hour if your not going 70mph or more you chance getting rear ended. I charged it back up at 5.9kWh according to the ChargePoint screen at the Marriott. It took just over 3 hrs. Taking 2 lane roads I got 4.5mi/kWH but there were many hills. I did hope for a bit better as I was driving with a "robin egg" between my shoe sole and the power pedal. I also tried the cruise control but it didn't seem to matter. I only had to use the brake pedal once when I got cut off. The regenerative braking works great. Stopped at the Station for a quick charge and "Last Chair" brown IPA....nice. I could have made it home but felt better with the extra bit of both juices.

Will post pix sometime.

One ?, occasionally a key fob battery low message appears briefly on the screen between the round "gauges" but everything seems to be working just fine.
Great ride and a nice compliment to our TDI Passat.

Where do you put or store the keyfob when operating? Right front pant pocket is preferred. If light still shows, read owners manual on how to install a new battery in the key fob. Might be a CR2025 or some such.

http://www.amazon.com/Maxell-Lithium-Batteries-Size-CR2025/dp/B002E0DSBW



head on over here for a faster recharge, it 's at the bottom of the hill. Get that plugshare app on your smart phone, Use J-1772 settings and "payment required" . That should get you 6 kwh charge rate.

http://api.plugshare.com/view/location/65299

 

[Rsolaregolf]

I had the key in the center console behind the parking brake "lever". I'll try the other fob the next time. Seems like the battery shouldn't be weak that soon. I saw in the manual how to change it already.

We'll be charging at home for free from our https://www.allearthrenewables.com/ charge time is not an issue for us. I have both the chargepoint and plugshare apps on my phone.

 

[JoulesThief]

I had the key in the center console behind the parking brake "lever". I'll try the other fob the next time. Seems like the battery shouldn't be weak that soon. I saw in the manual how to change it already.

We'll be charging at home for free from our https://www.allearthrenewables.com/ charge time is not an issue for us. I have both the chargepoint and plugshare apps on my phone.

The supplied 110V EVSE device is a temporary device, not a full time device. Get yourself a good 30 Amp 240V capable EVSE, and a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed on your property. 240V at 30 amps will net you 7.2 kwh... you can get up to 37 miles or travel gained per hour of charging with that unit. Of course, your car will never read right, living at the top of a hill.

Get your Car-net app on your smart phone, up and running, ASAP. It will tell you remaining charging time on your smart phone, if you leave your car charging doing errands at a public charger, or also at home.

 

[Rsolaregolf]

We already have the a 240V/30A outlet where we plug in next to the 110V outlet and changing the receptacle isn't an issue. Why isn't the supplied 110V charger "full time" if it works for our needs? In reading the manual I didn't see anything about the 110 being only temporary. Just wondering.

BTW the battery was charged to over 7/8ths on the gauge when I checked it this AM.

Got to run, driving the TDI to VT in a minute.

 

[forbin404]

We already have the a 240V outlet where we plug in next to the 110V outlet and changing the receptacle isn't an issue. Why isn't the supplied 110V charger "full time" if it work for our needs? In reading the manual I didn't see anything about the 110 being only temporary. Just wondering.

BTW the battery was charged to over 7/8ths on the gauge when I checked it this AM.

Got to run, driving the TDI to VT in a minute.

It's not 'Temporary'. It's just inconvenient to use the 110 charger when you are low. I have never seen it called Temporary and many people use the 110V to charge their car every day.

 

[JoulesThief]

We already have the a 240V/30A outlet where we plug in next to the 110V outlet and changing the receptacle isn't an issue. Why isn't the supplied 110V charger "full time" if it works for our needs? In reading the manual I didn't see anything about the 110 being only temporary. Just wondering.

BTW the battery was charged to over 7/8ths on the gauge when I checked it this AM.

Got to run, driving the TDI to VT in a minute.

Your 30 amp outlet is good for up to a 24 amp rated EVSE charging unit, on a dedicated circuit line, FYI. Constant heavy current is rated at 80% of capacity of circuit breaker.

There is ancillary parasitic draw stuff that draws watts in a backround while charging, whether at 30 amps and 240 V or 11 amps at 120V, it's drawing 100, 150, 200 watts that is not going into recharging the battery. It's an efficiency thing, cut those hours down by recharging at 30 amps and 240V, prevent the excess waste.