Volkswagen to lead electric car range with Golf

Europe’s largest carmaker Volkswagen is to launch its range in electric cars with an e-version of the Golf in 2013, company sources told German Press Agency DPA on Saturday.

Previously, the carmaker had planned to begin its electric range with the city car Up, followed by the E-Golf and the E-Jetta.

Volkswagen has decided instead to start with the E-Golf, in order to set an “important signal,” company sources said. They also hoped this would help corner the electric market ahead of rival carmakers.

The Golf is by far the most important model for the Wolfsburg-based carmaker.

“We want to build the electric car that everyone can afford,” Volkswagen’s Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn announced in March, after critics had complained that the carmaker had not focused enough on electric vehicles.

Key to the success of electric cars is the development of powerful and affordable lithium-ion batteries.

Volkswagen is cooperating on this research with companies such as Japanese electronics giants Toshiba and Sanyo, as well as Chinese battery and car producer BYD.

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