Electric version of VW's trademark Golf now cheaper than traditional model – study

Carmaker VW is emptying its stocks of older e-car models ahead of the launch of its new ID 3 model, bringing the price for the electric version of its successful Golf model below that of the cheapest combustion engine model, Maren Hoffmann writes in the manager magazin. According to a study by the University of Essen-Duisburg, online car dealers now offer older e-Golf models for about 20,000 euros, if the state's buyer's premium for electric cars is taken into account. This makes the e-Golf cheaper than cheapest combustion engine Golf, the article says. The e-Golf's original price stood at nearly 32,000 euros but the researchers say that the e-car's range of roughly 230 kilometres meant that it would no longer be able to compete with the new ID 3 model with a range of about 300 kilometres, which is why the e-Golf is being "pushed into the market" at much lower prices.

VW, the world's biggest carmaker, earlier this year unveiled its new strategy to become a leading producer of electric cars and gradually replace combustion engines with alternative propulsion systems, especially battery-powered electric cars.