I have done it. Took the plunge with a 2016 e-golf

[MichaelG]

I found one for a very reasonable price and about 5 1/2 years on the battery warranty. Here are my initial observations after two weeks. I averaging about 4 to 5 mi per kw. I did not get one with the DC quick charge. I was concerned about the potential battery abuse, that was possible, with that feature. And I didn't think it would be much of a hindrance because I can charge vehicle in the evening at home. I have taken to using the "B" function when I know that I have to brake to a stop. I like the level 1 regeneration feature and the "ECO" mode for regular driving. The cabin heater does not have much power and it is a big hit to range. I have a couple of questions.

1. The onboard charging scheduler is pretty useful and simple to use. I have not yet purchased a level 2 charger, but the 110v charger is working well. I would like a little more information about the charging consumption. I am considering purchasing a charger (juicebox 32) that provided some easy app interface and more energy consumption info. How would I set the car up to allow the the charger to assume control of schedule, charge level, and car cabin heat?

2. I am still trying to determine what the best driving habits would be to increase range. I have read some post that are clearly opinionated. Is coasting better than deceleration regen? What other tips might there be.

3. The car is close to the scheduled 15,000 checkup. I am getting reminders to get this scheduled and done. I really can't imagine what the service is actually going to accomplish. The dealer I purchased from presented me with a fairly comprehensive checklist of things they checked out before they sold it to me. Should I go thru with this checkup at a VW dealer? What will they actually do? Might I get some real hard data about the health of the battery. If I decided I didn't want to go thru with this, how would I disable the alert?

4. I am having trouble getting the car to fully integrate with my phone . The car and the phone recognize each other. I am able to listen to content from the phone. I can use the car microphone and speakers as long as I place or answer the call using the phone. The dash interface to place calls, upload the contacts, set up some button favorites, all are not working. I have a Moto G5 plus. What am I doing wrong? Is the problem the phone?

I am really enjoying the car otherwise.

Mike

 

[cctop]

Welcome Michael! Some but not all answers:

2) The most significant way you can increase range is to slow down and go easy on the accelerator. The user Verkehr found data showing that the 2015 eGolf (very similar to the 2016) is most efficient at 18mph. 60mph takes about 2x more energy, and 80mph takes about 3x more energy.

See the chart linked in this post for the data:

https://www.myvwegolf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=927&p=8737#p8737

The second biggest thing you can do is to avoid using the heater or AC. The seat warmers are much more efficient than the heater.

Regarding coasting vs. regen, coasting is better in theory but it depends on where you are driving. Hypermiling articles will tell you that you will be most efficient if you never touch the brake pedal: you should drive at a slow steady speed and start coasting as soon as you know you need to stop. But it's often not a realistic way to drive on public roads. Empirically I've found that for my hilly stop-and-go commute across San Francisco, it's more efficient to be in B mode.

3) The dealer will not tell you the health of your battery. Also, I have never heard of a 15,000 mile checkup. For my 2016 and my 2019, the manual listed a 10k checkup but the car itself told me it didn't need a checkup until 20k. Both the 10k and 20k are little more than changing fluids, rotating the tires, and checking that everything is OK. If you just bought the car from a dealer, I would expect you wouldn't need another checkup until 1 year or another 10k miles.

4) Is your phone plugged into the USB port, or is it connected by Bluetooth? For my iPhone, the features you are asking about work only when the phone is plugged in.

 

[JoulesThief]

2. I am still trying to determine what the best driving habits would be to increase range. I have read some post that are clearly opinionated. Is coasting better than deceleration regen? What other tips might there be.


Mike

Drive more, worry less... you'll figure it out on your own how to do better in miles per kWh.

 

[ElectricGolfCar]

I almost bought a 2016 without one for the same reasons, but splurged and got one with it at the last moment.

Then one night my son needed to he picked up, and I goofed up calculating the mileage on how far away he was He was 22 miles away and I thought it was under 15. Worse, this was before I knew that the Interstate kills the battery.
I arrived to get him at about midnight and the car said it only had 12 miles left on the battery.
Luckily there was a DC charger 5 miles away. I had to sign up for an app, but in 15 minutes I had enough of a charge to easily make it home.

As DC chargers become more prevalent I am glad I can use them in emergencies.