Volkswagen's electric Golf cheaper to ride than a Hong Kong tram

Volkswagen has unveiled an electric version of its most popular car in Hong Kong that could make a trip around town significantly cheaper than taking public transport. You’ll still need to fork out for parking, though

The e-Golf can be driven 100km for less than HK$14 in optimum conditions, the German carmaker has calculated. That's less than the HK$18.40 it would cost to travel the equivalent distance on a Hong Kong tram.

VW says the car’s high efficiency has been made possible through a combination of cutting-edge battery technology, aerodynamic refinements, upgraded rolling resistance and a lighter, all-aluminium body. The e-Golf has a range of 130km to 190km on a full battery, depending on load and road conditions, VW says.

Thorsten Jaede, managing director of Volkswagen Group Hong Kong, says: “The new e-Golf is one of the few vehicles eligible for the exemption from first-registration tax in Hong Kong as an environment-friendly vehicle.

“As the product of intense research and development, the new e-Golf ushers in a new zero-emission, zero-pollution and zero-engine-noise future for the Golf model.”

Speaking at the unveiling of the e-Golf on Thursday, Jaede said the car’s 24.2kWh lithium-ion battery can be recharged at CCS-equipped DC fast charge stations at a wattage of up to 40kW, allowing an 80 per cent charge in about 30 minutes.

The exemption from Hong Kong’s punitive first-registration tax helps offset the high cost of electric vehicles. The e-Golf sells for HK$369,880. Variants of the petrol-driven Golf cost between HK$212,880 and HK$499,880.

The Golf has been VW’s best-selling car since it was launched in 1974 to replace the Beetle as the new “people’s car”. More than 30 million units have been sold worldwide, VW says.