2018 Volkswagen e-Golf: MPG and fuel economy
The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf is a fully electric vehicle rated at 119 MPGe combined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has an EPA-rated driving range of 125 miles on a full charge.
This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.
Key takeaways
- Returns 325% better combined MPG than the average car in the Compact Cars class for the 2018 model year (28 MPG class average).
- The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf is the most efficient car in the Compact Cars class for the 2018 model year, with its 119 MPG rating leading the segment.
- EPA estimates this car saves around $7,500 in fuel over five years compared with an average new vehicle of the same model year.
- Has an EPA-rated electric driving range of only 125 miles, which limits its usefulness for longer trips.
Fuel economy at a glance
These are the EPA's official ratings for the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.
Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).
| Combined MPG | 119 MPG |
| City MPG | 126 MPG |
| Highway MPG | 111 MPG |
| Annual fuel cost | $650 |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | — |
| Fuel type | Electricity |
How the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf compares
The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf returns 119 combined MPG. Cars in the Compact Cars class for the same model year average 28 MPG, which puts this car ahead of the class average by about 325%.
Within the Compact Cars class for the 2018 model year, the Volkswagen e-Golf is the leader. No other car in the same class beat its 119 MPG rating. The bar chart below shows it alongside the class average and the average new car for some additional context.
For broader context, the average new car of the 2018 model year (across all classes) returns 25.6 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 2018 model year is on its own page.
Annual fuel cost across driving patterns
The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for electricity, which is $0.15/kilowatt-hour. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.
The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPGe and the reference electricity price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. Charging at home rather than at a public DC fast charger usually lowers the real cost below the EPA's published figure.
| Driving pattern | Estimated annual fuel cost |
|---|---|
| Light driver, 7,500 miles per year | $325 |
| Average driver, 15,000 miles per year | $650 |
| Heavy driver, 25,000 miles per year | $1,083 |
Year-over-year MPG for the Volkswagen e-Golf
The EPA has rated the Volkswagen e-Golf across 5 model years, from 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf through 2019 Volkswagen e-Golf. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.
Combined MPG has stayed in roughly the same range across the run. The peak rating came with the 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf at 119 MPG.
| Year | Combined MPG | Open year page |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 119 MPG | 2019 Volkswagen e-Golf |
| 2018 | 119 MPG | this page |
| 2017 | 119 MPG | 2017 Volkswagen e-Golf |
| 2016 | 116 MPG | 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf |
| 2015 | 116 MPG | 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf |
Compare against other Compact Cars for 2018
If you are cross-shopping the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Compact Cars class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.
Specifications
The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf is a fully electric vehicle. It is powered by 100 kw ac pmsm. The EPA rates its driving range at 125 miles.
Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.
- Vehicle class
- Compact Cars
- Transmission
- Automatic (A1)
- Drivetrain
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Fuel type
- Electricity
- Electric motor
- 100 kW AC PMSM
- EV range
- 125 miles
- Annual petroleum use
- 0.1 barrels per year
Common questions about the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf
Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf.
-
Is the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf fuel efficient?
Yes. The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf returns 119 combined MPG, which beats the average car in the Compact Cars class for the same model year by about 325%. -
What MPG does the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf get?
The EPA rates the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf at 119 combined MPG, 126 MPG in city driving, and 111 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is. -
How much does it cost to fuel a 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf per year?
The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $650 for the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade. -
Does the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf use gasoline?
No. The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf is fully electric and runs on grid electricity. The MPGe figure on this page converts electricity use into a gasoline-equivalent so you can compare it directly to a regular car. -
Has the Volkswagen e-Golf become more fuel efficient over time?
Combined MPG has stayed close to flat across the run. Both the earliest (2015 Volkswagen e-Golf, 116 MPG) and most recent (2019 Volkswagen e-Golf, 119 MPG) versions sit in the same range. -
How much CO₂ does the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf emit?
The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf produces zero tailpipe emissions because it runs entirely on electricity. The full carbon footprint of charging it depends on how the electricity on your local grid is generated, which varies a lot from one state to another. -
What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf?
City driving returns 126 MPG and highway driving returns 111 MPG. A flat (or city-better) split is the signature of a hybrid or electric drivetrain, where regenerative braking recovers energy that would otherwise be lost in stop-start city traffic. -
What motor does the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf use?
The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf uses 100 kW AC PMSM. Electric motors do not have a displacement or cylinder count the way a combustion engine does, so EPA reporting focuses on the motor type and battery system instead. -
What transmission and drivetrain does the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf have?
The 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf comes with a automatic (a1) transmission and front-wheel drive. -
Is the 2018 Volkswagen e-Golf the most efficient car in its class?
Yes. Among cars in the Compact Cars class for the 2018 model year, the Volkswagen e-Golf returns the highest combined MPG at 119 MPG. No other car in the same class beats that figure.
Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.