Other renewables

E-Golf electric vehicles

Volkswagen has announced that it will begin a pilot program of testing 20 prototype E-Golf electric vehicles over a nine-month period in select locations in Detroit Metro, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., beginning in April. By studying E-Golf use across multiple geographical regions, Volkswagen will monitor the effect of climate conditions, driving patterns, and energy performance; the data and insights gained will be used in the final development of future electric car technology applications.

In addition to testing the electric car itself, users will also test specific services designed for the E-Golf. For example, 220-volt charging stations will be installed at homes to charge the electric vehicles.

Each E-Golf will be delivered with an iPhone and a dedicated app, allowing the user to check the battery’s charging status, regulate the electric car’s internal temperature, gauge how much charging time is left, or even remotely start the charging procedure.

“As a part of our Think Blue strategy, the Volkswagen brand has shown an undeniable commitment towards investing in technologies that will help improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions,” said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “This E-Golf test fleet will provide critical feedback on these vehicles that will prove essential in our sustainability efforts and in the drive towards electric mobility.”

“During this test we will examine in detail all the technical and administrative aspects of typical consumers using electric vehicles on an everyday basis,” said Dr Rudolf Krebs, Executive Vice president and Head of Volkswagen Group E-Traction. “For a successful market launch of electric vehicles, the way that home chargers are handled is very important, along with easy access to public charging infrastructure. For the U.S., we also have to recognize the specific legal regulations as well as the different characteristics of the electricity supply: both the reduced 110-volt mains supply and the type of charging plugs.”

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