Volkswagen e-Golf EV Charging Cable

The facelift doubled the charger as well as the battery

The 2014 to 2017 e-Golf holds 20.5 kWh usable from a 24.2 kWh pack and managed 118 miles on the old NEDC test, charging at 3.7 kW. The 2017 to 2020 facelift went to 32 kWh usable from 35.8 gross and 144 miles WLTP, and Volkswagen doubled the onboard charger to 7.2 kW at the same time.

That makes the year the deciding factor on this page. A 16A cable is everything the earlier car can use; the facelift genuinely draws 7.2 kW and wants the 32A lead, which roughly halves a charge from nine hours to four and a half.

Both are single phase, so nothing is lost at home

Neither e-Golf quotes a three phase figure it cannot reach. Their ratings are single phase ratings, so a normal British home supply delivers the whole of whichever charger you have, without the derating that catches out so many newer cars.

The car is the bottleneck, not the cable, so the extra current goes unused. On the earlier car that works the other way round: 3.7 kW is genuinely the ceiling, so the extra amps of a 32A lead would simply go unused.

How long a full charge takes

The arithmetic is simple: kWh over kW, 13 per cent on top for losses, rounded to the nearest quarter hour. The range column assumes 3.5 miles per kWh rather than a summer best case. Columns are the 2014 to 2017 car and the facelift, at usable capacity. Read the earlier car down the 16A row, which is the only one it can use.

Both take CCS rapid charging, 44 kW on the earlier car and 40 kW on the facelift, though whether CCS was standard or an option on the very first 2014 UK cars is not something we have been able to confirm.

Which length for an e-Golf

The inlet is on the rear offside, roughly where you would look for a fuel filler on a petrol Golf. Volkswagen has used that position consistently, including on the MEB cars that came later.

The e-Golf is 4.27 metres. Reverse onto a drive with the charge point on the right and 5 metres reaches. Nose in, or a wall box on the nearside, and 10 metres. Measure from the charge point to the inlet as the car actually parks, then add two metres of slack.

How these cables are built

The lead is an IEC 62196-2 design, CE marked, IP55 sealed against a British winter and rated from -30C to +50C.

On the three pin side the standard is IEC 62752, with CE marking, IP67 sealing and a -30C to +60C range. Warranty is two years from the manufacturer, delivery free next working day, returns accepted for 30 days.

Related: Volkswagen ID.3 EV Charging Cable, and Volkswagen charging cables for every other model we cover. For a wall box or public post the lead is the Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable.

Volkswagen e-Golf charging cable questions

Which cable does an e-Golf need?

A 32A Type 2 to Type 2 lead for a 2017 to 2020 facelift, which draws a full 7.2 kW. A 16A lead is all a 2014 to 2017 car can use.

How long does an e-Golf take to charge?

The facelift is about five hours from empty at 7.2 kW on its 32 kWh usable pack. The earlier car is about six and a quarter at 3.7 kW on 20.5 kWh.

Does a UK home supply slow it down?

No. Both e-Golf chargers are single phase rated, so your home point delivers the car's full figure rather than a derated three phase number.

Where does an e-Golf plug in?

The rear offside, about where a fuel filler sits on a petrol Golf. That is the driver's side on a UK car.