(November 13, 2010) HERNDON, Va. — Next week during the Los Angeles Auto Show, Volkswagen will offer U.S. media their first chance to get behind the wheel of the Golf blue-e-motion zero-emissions electric vehicle. Drivers will experience the pure electrically powered version of the most successful European car ever built, the Golf.

For Volkswagen, 2013 is the key year of electric mobility. First the brand starts into the age of pure electric driving by introducing the all-electric Up! and shortly afterwards the Golf blue-e-motion.

The five-door and five-seat Golf blue-e-motion is silently driven by an electric motor that delivers a high maximum torque (199 lbs.-ft.) from a stop, resulting in a true zero-emissions Volkswagen driving experience. The electricity for powering the electric motor is stored in a lithium-ion battery with an energy capacity of 26.5 kilowatt-hours. The Golf blue-e-motion joins Volkswagen’s many other responsible mobility options, including TDI Clean Diesels, hybrids and bio-fuel powered vehicles.

The Golf blue-e-motion features a driving range of up to 93 miles; however, the specific range will depend on driving style and factors such as the use of air conditioning and heating. The aerodynamic Golf blue-e-motion offers ample power and has features that ensure energy is preserved while driving.

For example, the vehicle can coast or “sail,” whenever the driver releases the electric pedal. The motor is then controlled to the zero-torque curve, allowing the car to coast down the road with the least possible drag. The Golf blue-e-motion also recovers kinetically generated energy through brake regeneration.

Consisting of 180 lithium-ion cells, the Golf blue-e-motion 30 battery modules can be found in the trunk floor, under the rear bench seat and between the front seats. A separate air-cooling system ensures a constant thermal environment in the battery compartment.

The driver can determine the amount of energy demanded by the electric pedal from the kW gauge, which replaces the classic tachometer. A range indicator is also integrated in this round instrument. The speedometer, which is located on the usual right side, integrates another small gauge that provides information on the battery charge state.