Plugging in to distance challenge

Having had the new Volkswagen eGolf on test, Driven was asked to take part in a “real world” EV rental test courtesy of Europcar.

The challenge was to drive an EV car to Christchurch. Driven opted for shorter challenge, one with a deadline.

Given that the team, consisting of one Driven reporter, Volkswagen EV guru Jordan Haines and Europcar’s New Zealand Travel Sales Manager, Melissa Carter, was scheduled to leave Auckland Airport at 10am, on the surface it seemed an easy task to reach Taupo in time for a 6pm flight back to Auckland — if there was only one vehicle. However, Europcar gave us two, which meant double the time to charge with only one charger.

Europcar is the first New Zealand- based rental company to offer electric vehicles for hire, a big step given the relative early phase New Zealand’s charging network is in. Renting EVs in New Zealand will be Europcar’s challenge.

The Volkswagen eGolf has a range of 200km, from its 36kW lithium ion batteries, that produce 100kW of power. Our challenge was to make the 263km to Taupo airport in less than eight hours.

That time constraint would be manageable in an old- fashioned fuel- powered car; but we needed to charge the EV on the way. The plan was to stop in Hamilton, a “switched” on city with plenty of spots for charging. Our preference was a fast charge point to limit our stopover time to 35 minutes for each car.

Thankfully, the charge station- finding app, PlugShare, directed us to a fast charge point and we used the 70- minute enforced break to have lunch. Sure, you could drive all the way to Taupo in a fuel- powered car, but taking regular breaks is a far safer way to drive.

One hour and 10 minutes later, the range challenge resumed. Our cars told us we had 260km available for the final 150km stage of the challenge. And it was only 2pm. The eGolf’s range and, most importantly, the way it recuperates charge during braking and downhill, enables this vehicle to be an useful tourer.

Further proof was when we got to Taupo airport, two hours early, and there was still another 80km in the “tank”. Anyone for a quick lap of the lake?