Auction to place first VW e-Golf, raffle to place first Toyota FCV in US
13 October 2014
Volkswagen of America, Inc. (VWoA) and Global Green USA will auction the first 2015 battery-electric Volkswagen e-Golf in the US. That announcement follows Toyota’s announcement that it is partnering with the Environmental Media Association (EMA) to raffle off the company’s first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle when it arrives in California in late 2015.
BMW earlier had auctioned off a one-of-a-kind 2014 BMW i8 for $825,000 during Gooding & Company’s annual Pebble Beach Auctions.
Volkswagen e-Golf. The auction, hosted online at Charitybuzz.com/vwegolf, gives bidders the opportunity to be the first owner of the brand’s first all-electric model before retail sales in the United States begin later this year. Proceeds will benefit Global Green USA, a national environmental non-profit. Bids will be accepted at Charitybuzz.com/vwegolf until 3:30 p.m. ET on 29 October.
The 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf goes on sale in November, starting at $35,445 for the fully equipped SEL Premium model. The ultra-efficient e-Golf features a 24.2 kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor producing 115 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque. With a 7.2 kW onboard charger and DC fast charging standard, the versatile electric vehicle will offer one of the largest interiors in its class.
Toyota FCV. As the infrastructure to support the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is currently only available in California, prize applicants must be state residents. Residents can purchase opportunities to win at www.biddingforgood.com for a cost of $100 per ticket or $500 for six. All monies raised will benefit programs of the EMA, a nonprofit 501(c)3 dedicated to harnessing the power of celebrity and the media to promote sustainable lifestyles.
The winner will be announced at the 24th annual EMA Awards, presented by Toyota and Lexus, on 18 Oct. at Warner Bros Studios.
'If you look at when we started with the e-mobility of the Golf, and you look now to the Passat, we have done the first step," said Dr Neusser. "We have more energy density in the batteries [than before], and in 2015-16 will come the next step which means we come from 25-28 ampere hours (Ah) energy density to 36-37Ah. Now we are actually working on the next step to around 60Ah... with research will come a completely new electro-chemical chemistry inside the batteries, and this will come at the beginning of the next decade. We have to look to the e-Golf, which had an operating range of around 190km. I expect the next generation in 2015-17 will increase to around 300km and the following step will be around 500-600km'
http://www.treehugger.com/cars/vw-says-electric-car-range-will-be-between-310-370-miles-2020.html
Ranges are on the NEDC of course, but lets hope VW manage to swiftly bring in the 300km version, perhaps 150-160 miles on the EPA!
Good enough for many, I suspect.
Posted by: Davemart | 14 October 2014 at 03:12 AM