2016 Volkswagen e-Golf Gets $4,500 Price Cut

The Volkswagen e-Golf is about to get a lot more competitive with the market-leading Nissan LEAF. The base 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf will be simpler than the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf, and will come in at a price $4,500 lower than then 2015 base price.

The 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf SE will have an MSRP of $29,815 (including destination charges) before any federal, state, or local incentives, such as the $7,500 US federal tax credit for electric cars and the $2,500 California rebate for electric cars.

This will make the base VW e-Golf the 5th-cheapest electric car on the US market, just pennies more expensive than the Nissan LEAF.

The LEAF is, of course, the affordable electric car to beat, so pricing the e-Golf right around the same price as the LEAF seems like a logical move (assuming it’s not easier to offer a competitive product much cheaper than the LEAF).

The Volkswagen e-Golf SEL Premium will have a base price of $36,415. The SE option won’t include the 7.2-kilowatt AC onboard charger and DC fast-charging capabilities that are standard with the SEL. In place of the 7.2-kilowatt AC onboard charger, the SE will get a 3.6-kilowatt AC onboard charger. It also will have a 6.5-inch display rather than an 8-inch display. Lastly (I think), SE owners won’t be able to purchase the Driver Assist package, which includes forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and parking assist.

The motor will still be rated at 85 kW (115 horsepower) and 199 lb-feet of torque. The e-Golf will also have the same 24.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and the EPA range rating will reportedly remain 83 miles (134 kilometers).

The 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf will hit the markets where the e-Golf is sold (10 states on the West Coast and in the Northeast) in September 2015.

The $36,415 price of the Volkswagen e-Golf SEL Premium still puts it quite a bit cheaper than the base BMW i3 or Mercedes B-Class Electric, but above the Kia Soul EV and Chevy Volt.

What do you think of the competitiveness of the new Volkswagen e-Golf SE and Volkswagen e-Golf SEL Premium?

Audi Confirms Electric R8 e-Tron, Also 280-Mile Family Electric Car In 2017

Audi R8 e-tron track drive, Berlin Tempelhof Airport

The Audi R8 e-tron electric sports car has been cancelled and revived numerous times, but now it appears that not only will the e-tron enter production, it will also be the stepping stone to a more mainstream electric car.

At this week's 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, Audi officials indicated that the carmaker is planning an all-electric family car with around 280 miles of range for 2017.

The R8 e-tron will come first, though, perhaps as early as the 2015 Detroit Auto Show in January, according to a report from Seeking Alpha.

The two-seat coupe--along with a rumored plug-in hybrid version--will be based on the platform of the next-generation R8, also set to debut next year.

2016 Audi A3 e-tron - First Drive

Audi technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg has previously said the R8 e-tron will have 250 miles of range--up from the 130 miles of the first prototype cars.

However, speaking to Auto Express at the L.A. show, Hackenberg also said that Audi will leverage experience gained during development of the R8 e-tron for a more practical family car.

With an anticipated 280 miles of range, the car will likely target the Tesla Model S when when it arrives in calendar year 2017, perhaps as a 2018 model.

Audi believes it can achieve that range target thanks to anticipated improvements in battery energy density and electric-motor efficiency.

Audi's parent Volkswagen Group claims to be developing motors that are five times more efficient than the one used in the current VW e-Golf.

No other details have been confirmed, including whether the electric car will be based on one of Audi's existing models, or be a completely new addition to the lineup.

2016 Audi A3 e-tron - First Drive

Either way, it seems Audi is now targeting Tesla directly, and it's not alone.

The luxury brand is also thought to be developing an all-electric version of its upcoming Q8 "four-door coupe utility vehicle," which would seem to have the Tesla Model X in its sights.

Meanwhile rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz reportedly have plans for larger, more luxurious electric cars, while Porsche may build an all-electric version of its planned "Pajun" (Panamera Junior) sedan.

Will these new models change the electric-car landscape in a few years' time? Or will Tesla simply fire back with an even more competitive product?

Stay tuned.

Source: Green Car Reports