While we knew the Volkswagen e-Golf wasn’t long for this world (at least in the U.S.), news of its passing came more as a quiet whisper than a bold formal announcement. CarsDirect reports on a statement back in August of 2019, wherein Volkswagen provided more information on its 2020 models. Later in October, the company edited that release and removed the e-Golf, saying no 2020 model would be available. Now, as we roll on through 2020, it seems VW’s first crack at a mass-market EV is well and truly dead here in the United States.
Mind you, it’s worth noting that Volkswagen itself did not confirm the model was discontinued. Instead, company PR spokesman Mark Gillies said the production allocation was shifted to Canada, according to the CarsDirect report. By doing that, VW effectively killed the model off in the U.S. market, as it won’t be selling 2020 models here. It’s a bit of an odd development, since the EPA did publish efficiency ratings on a 2020 Volkswagen e-Golf.
2019 was a record year for e-Golfs
It’s not a terribly surprising move that the Volkswagen e-Golf was quietly pulled from the U.S. market. The most obvious case for doing so is that the company is preparing to launch the ID. 4 crossover here, as well as a host of other EVs in the coming years. While we had a long-term e-Golf these past few months and concluded that it was a good, solid electric car, it also wasn’t competitive against most cars buyers would cross-shop against VW’s electric hatchback. If that wasn’t enough, the 2020 Volkswagen e-Golf also carried a lower efficiency rating and range than it did for 2019.
Still, it’s a sad moment as it means we won’t have an electrified Golf in our market, at least for now. Volkswagen’s newest EV hatchback, the ID. 3, isn’t for sale in the United States. We also aren’t getting the hybrid GTE, a performance version based around the iconic gas-powered GTI. Instead, we will soon get another electric crossover — something to compete against the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Kona Electric and Ford Mustang Mach-E, among others arriving in the next year or two.
