The Volkswagen e-Golf can now be ordered, with deliveries expected at the end of June.

The car can be ordered from one of 24 EV specialist retailers, and is priced at £25,845 on the road.

Based on the Golf hatchback, the e-Golf runs a purely electric drivetrain with no tailpipe emissions.

The e-Golf can be charged from a household three-pin socket using the cable provided. With a standard UK 230-Volt, 2.3 kW supply, this recharges the battery in 13 hours.  An optional wallbox for home use provides 3.6 kW supply and can recharge a flat battery in eight hours.  The wallbox is currently available at no cost, through British Gas, while domestic customers of Volkswagen electric products are also eligible for a green electricity tariff through Ecotricity. 

Through use of the e-Golf's standard combined charging system (CCS) and a DC supply, the battery can be fully recharged (at levels of up to 40 kW) to 80 per cent capacity in 35 minutes.

Depending on driving style, charge level and ambient conditions, the e-Golf has a range of up to 118 miles, with a top speed of 87mph. 

An optional heat pump helps deliver maximum range in winter.  This add-on module for the electric heating and air conditioning uses heat from both ambient air and the vehicle's drive systems, significantly reducing electricity consumption.  It can increase the e-Golf's range in cold weather by up to 20 per cent.

The model also includes eco driving modes from the e-Up, and the same regenerative braking system that feeds power back into the batteries when the accelerator is lifted.

In the UK, the e-Golf is available with five doors only, and in a single well-equipped trim level based on the standard Golf SE, with the addition of two zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, e-specific alloy wheels and Discover Pro satellite navigation, with an eight-inch colour touchscreen.