2015 Volkswagen e-Golf Price To Start At $36,265, Top Trim Level Only

The 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf electric car will be priced from $36,265, VW announced this morning.

And the first battery-electric car ever offered in the U.S. by Volkswagen will be offered only in the very top Golf trim level, the SEL Premium model.

The 2015 e-Golf goes on sale in November at selected Volkswagen dealerships in launch regions that include California.

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The energy to run a Volkswagen e-Golf is stored in a 24.2-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that powers a 85-kilowatt (115-horsepower) electric motor driving the front wheels. Motor torque is quoted at 199 lb-ft.

The car's standard onboard charger operates at up to 7.2 kilowatts using a 240-Volt Level 2 charging station, and every e-Golf sold in the States includes a standard DC fast-charging port.

That fast-charging, it should be noted, uses the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard adopted by U.S. and German makers, rather than the CHAdeMO system used by Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Kia.

VW says it will recharge a depleted battery to 80 percent of its capacity in 30 minutes or less.

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At present, there are far more CHAdeMO quick-charging sites in North America (several hundred) than CCS locations (perhaps a few dozen), though it seems likely that future DC fast-charging locations will offer both standards.

The range of the 2015 VW e-Golf hasn't yet been certified by the EPA, but Volkswagen says it's "between 70 and 90 miles, depending on driving style and charging behavior."