Volkswagen e-Golf Charging Cables

Quick recommendation

The e-Golf takes a Type 2 to Type 2 cable, and the amperage you want depends entirely on the year. Volkswagen doubled the onboard charger at the 2017 facelift, from 3.6 kW to 7.2 kW, and grew the battery by half at the same time. One badge, two quite different cars.

A 2014 to 2017 e-Golf has a 24.2 kWh pack, about 20.5 kWh of it usable, and will not pull more than 3.6 kW from anything you connect. A 16A cable meets that limit exactly. Fitting a 32A lead changes nothing on these cars, because the charger inside the car is the ceiling, not the cable outside it.

The 2017 to 2020 facelift carries 35.8 kWh gross, 32 kWh usable, and accepts 7.2 kW. Here a 16A cable really does hold the car back. It caps you at 3.7 kW and stretches a full charge past nine and a half hours. Move to the 32A version and the same charge falls to about five. If you own the later car and intend to own one cable, make it the 32A one.

Telling the two apart is straightforward. The facelift arrived in 2017 and is the version quoted at 35.8 kWh. If you are unsure which you have, the build date on the V5C and the quoted battery size settle it between them.

We also stock a three phase 32A lead for drivers who use three phase workplace or destination posts. On a British home supply it delivers exactly what the single phase 32A cable delivers, because UK houses are single phase and 7.4 kW is the domestic ceiling. It is a sensible buy only if you regularly charge somewhere three phase is available.

You may see the e-Golf described with a Type 1 socket. That was the North American car. Every UK e-Golf is Type 2, and a Type 1 lead will not fit one.

Lengths run from 5m up to 20m. Five metres suits a wallbox sited beside the charge flap. Ten metres covers most driveways and shared bays. All our Type 2 to Type 2 cables are IP55 rated, come with a 2 year manufacturer's warranty and same-day dispatch on working-day orders placed before 2pm.

Volkswagen e-Golf Charging Times

e-Golf, 2014 to 2017, 24.2 kWh gross, about 20.5 kWh usable

e-Golf facelift, 2017 to 2020, 35.8 kWh gross, 32 kWh usable

Volkswagen e-Golf Charging Cable FAQs

Does my e-Golf need a 16A or a 32A cable?

It depends on the year. A 2014 to 2017 e-Golf accepts 3.6 kW, so 16A matches it and 32A adds nothing. A 2017 to 2020 facelift car accepts 7.2 kW, and there a 32A Type 2 to Type 2 cable cuts a full charge from about nine and three quarter hours down to five.

How do I tell which e-Golf I have?

Check the battery figure and the build date. The first car is quoted at 24.2 kWh gross, roughly 20.5 kWh usable, and charges at 3.6 kW. The facelift from 2017 is 35.8 kWh gross, 32 kWh usable, and charges at 7.2 kW. Your V5C build date will settle any doubt.

How long does an e-Golf take to charge?

The later 32 kWh car takes about five hours from empty on a 32A cable, or nine and three quarter hours on a 16A one. The earlier 20.5 kWh car needs roughly six and a half hours whatever cable you use, because 3.6 kW is its limit. A three pin plug is far slower again.

Is a three phase cable any use in the UK?

Only away from home. British houses are single phase, so a three phase 32A lead hands an e-Golf the same 7.2 kW as the single phase one, and a full charge still takes about five hours. Buy it if you regularly use three phase workplace or destination posts, not for your own driveway.

Does the e-Golf use a Type 1 socket?

Not in Britain. Both UK generations of the e-Golf use Type 2. The Type 1 listings you may come across belong to the North American version, which was never sold here. Order a Type 1 lead for a UK e-Golf and it will not enter the inlet, so stay with Type 2.

What cable length should an e-Golf owner buy?

Five metres is fine when the wallbox sits close to the charging flap. Ten metres covers reversing onto a drive, shared parking, and awkward public bays where the nearest space is taken. We also stock 15m and 20m for long runs. Every length carries a 2 year manufacturer's warranty.