Just picked up e-Golf in Rochester, NY

[jfilion]

Just picked up my new e-Golf on Friday and drove it to work and back today. So far so good. I'm a little nervous about next winter if it is as cold as this one was.

 

[NeilBlanchard]

Welcome to the forum! Ours did fine this winter.

 

[jfilion]

Thanks Neil. If you don't mind my asking, what part of the country are you in? Or, what's the coldest weather you drove it in? We got below zero several time this winter (coldest February on record).

 

[NeilBlanchard]

I live in eastern Massachusetts, and we had very similar temperatures.

 

[mikegerard]

I'm in Webster, NY and have a Rav4EV. I'd be interested in hearing how your VW handles the cold too. In the Rav4 the heater is a simple electric resistance heater which is really inefficient and drops range quite a bit. I believe you had the option for a heat pump. That should be almost twice as efficient.

While it's still cold here I would suggest that you drive a controlled route one way with the heat on the whole trip and one with the heat off the whole trip. Go out to Victor or LeRoy on 490 and check your efficiency driving out with the heat on and then back with the heat off. The range meters on most EVs is not very accurate so you really want to look at energy used.

Mike

 

[GadgetGav]

I'm in the Boston suburbs and mine did OK this winter. The range seemed to be slightly down on the window sticker, but for part of the winter I was only charging to 80% anyway, so not a well controlled experiment.
The heat pump & resistive heater warm the car better on my 7mile commute than the heater matrix in my GTI used to, especially coupled with the fact that I can remotely heat while it's still plugged in before I leave the garage.

 

[jfilion]

Thanks everyone for the info. I'm not as concerned anymore about next winter.

 

[jfilion]

Hey Mike G., you don't happen to have a white Rav4EV do you? I was behind one today in Webster. If that was you I think you may work just a couple of buildings away from mine.

Joe

 

[mikegerard]

My wife usually drives it and she works at Xerox. The plate is "RAV4 EV".

We should try to get together some time and talk cars...

Mike

 

[jfilion]

Sure. Do you work in Webster or a neighboring area?

Joe