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2015 VW e-Golf coming to ZEV states for $35,445* this November

Is $6,465 too much to get someone thinking about buying a Nissan Leaf to opt for the Volkswagen e-Golf instead? That's the price difference between the current EV sales champion, which now starts at $28,980, and the just-announced price for the e-Golf, which will sell for $35,445 in the US when it arrives in about ten states (basically, the ZEV states that follow California's lead in zero-emission vehicle rules) this November and will qualify for the federal tax credit of up to $7,500. VW says that the extra money will get you "the most versatile electric vehicle in its class." There is only one trim line, the SEL Premium, which will be the first VW in the US with all-LED headlights. The car's powertrain numbers pretty much match the Nissan Leaf, though. The e-Golf has a 24.2-kWh lithium-ion battery (the Leaf has a 24-kWh pack) and a 115-hp, 199-pound foot electric motor (107 hp,187 lb-ft in the Leaf). The e-Golf's official EPA numbers are not yet available, but VW says it will have an "average range between 70 and 90 miles." The Leaf has an official EPA range of 84 miles. The e-Golf has a better onboard charger – 7.2 kW vs. 3.6 or 6.6, depending on your Leaf's options – and has SAE Combo fast charging capability as standard. VW is also working with 3Degrees to offset all of the emissions "created from production, distribution and charging of the e-Golf for up to approximately 36,000 miles of driving." VW also announced prices for its lightly facelifted 2015 Jetta today. The base model, the 2.0-liter S with a manual transmission, starts at $17,325 while the top-of-the-line model, the Hybrid SEL Premium, will set you back at least $31,670. The lowest-cost TDI is the S manual, which starts at $21,640 and features VW's new 2.0-liter diesel four. A new limited-edition 1.8 Sport model with a firmer suspension, tinted taillamps and rear spoiler starts at $20,895. All VW prices listed exclude VW's *$820 destination charge and you can find all the details on trim lines in the press releases below.

Get ready to Camino-ize your fourth-generation VW Jetta with this kit

Inexpensive, small pickup trucks used to be everywhere in the US, whether they were from Japanese brands like Datsun or Toyota, the truly weird Subaru Brat or even from Europe with the Volkswagen Caddy based on the Golf. These days that market has completely disappeared, but if you're willing to pick up some tools to build your own, there's a company out there bringing the Caddy back as a kit for the Jetta.
Mark Smith knows a thing about building a vehicle at home. He has over two decades in the DIY-car business as a co-founder of Local Motors and the company that became Factory Five Racing. His latest venture is Smyth Performance and already offers a mid-engine, VW-based kit called the G3F. His new product, though, started as a fluke. "I just wanted a shop truck," said Smith to Autoblog. He already had a Ford F-450 but found that he was driving around with the bed empty most of the time. The result was a pickup truck based on the fourth-generation Jetta that he dubbed the Ute.
The kit retails for $3,500 and ships in three, big boxes, and it's designed to be built and painted in a weekend. Buyers get fiberglass exterior panels, a fiberglass rear window surround, sliding rear window, an aluminum reinforced bed with a tubular steel subframe, taillights, a fully functional steel tailgate, and other parts. In the end, you get a vehicle with a six-foot bed and a payload of around 700-750 pounds. The Ute maintains all of the factory suspension, fuel tank and emissions equipment and requires just a few cuts in the body to complete. "We did a modern Caddy," admits Smith.

CES Part 2: Honda/Sony Afeela, BMW i Vision Dee and more | Autoblog Podcast #763

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. This week, they pick up from last week and dig deeper into some of the reveals and news coming from this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) including the Ram 1500 Revolution, the Afeela EV collaboration from Sony and Honda, Peugeot Inception, BMW i Vision Dee and VW ID.7, among other highlights and musings from the show. They also discuss the cars they've been driving, including the BMW iX, Mercedes EQS SUV, two-door Bronco Badlands, Mazda CX-50 Meridian Edition and Toyota RAV4 Wilderness Edition. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #763 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown CES 2023 Ram 1500 Revolution Sony Honda Mobility Afeela EV prototype Peugeot Inception BMW i Vision Dee Volkswagen ID.7 Cars we're driving 2023 BMW iX 2023 Mercedes EQS 450 SUV 2022 Ford Bronco Badlands Two-Door 7MT 2023 Mazda CX-50 Meridian Edition 2023 Toyota RAV4 Woodland Edition Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts CES BMW Ford Honda Mazda Mercedes-Benz RAM Toyota Volkswagen Peugeot Truck Coupe Crossover SUV Concept Cars Electric Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance Sedan Afeela