You Can Now Order A Tesla-Powered Golf Mk2

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It has been in the works for a while, and you may remember Kit Lacey from eDub Services talking about this VW Golf Mk2 conversion in his warehouse tour earlier this year — now it’s here! Being old enough to have driven the original Golf Mk1 GTI and having owned a Golf Mk2 diesel myself, I wish I had kept it for a later upgrade. … This update from our friends at eDub Services tells you all about this new gem:


What’s that you spy in the distance? A small boxy chassis with 4 blazing headlights and a sporty prowess? “Hear come the boy racers,” you may think, but something’s different here. You can see the “hot hatch” approaching, but you can’t hear it. Before you know it, 162 BHP of stealth glides swiftly and silently to a stop in front of you as your mouth drops open. The driver winds down the window and, seeing your face, they offer an explanation — “It’s electric.”

Photo by eDub Services

The VW Golf Mk2 debuted in 1984 and was originally powered by a 1.8-litre eight-valve engine. It might not have been the quickest or sexiest hatch of its day, but it was easily the classiest and most rounded, or most boxy depending on your description. But the power was always referred to as “underwhelming” at 110 BHP. Eventually, the GTI improved this to 137 BHP, but eDub Services has gone one step further. Utilising a Tesla drive unit where the engine and gearbox used to be, this nimble classic EV is set to deliver 162 BHP.

Screenshot from eDub Warehouse tour showing the Tesla drivetrain in the Golf

“It could manage the full 270 BHP,” describes Kit Lacey, Company Director at eDub Services, “but it’s not that fun to drive [in that case]. After a lot of testing, 162 BHP feels perfect.” Plus, with no gear changes or revving, you get all that power from the second you press the throttle. In place of the gear stick is a subtle drive selector — Drive, Neutral, or Reverse. The clutch has gone too, so your left foot has plenty of space to stretch out. “We decided to keep the interior as original as possible,” continues Kit, with three simple dials on the dash showing MPH, SOC (State of Charge), and amps instead of revs with a fancy regen section to the dial. “Heating is high voltage from the battery pack, so it’s instant warmth, plus all lights are upgraded to LED inside and out.”

eDub Services is used to converting Volkswagens, but normally the more rectangular and “glampy” varieties. Specialising in VW T2 camper conversions (see the full CleanTechnica series on that), it was only a matter of time before eDub gracefully sidestepped towards other VW varieties. eDub’s campers use the same drive unit but are set at a much lower power, which is perfect for the classic campers, but the performance on this Golf is something else, as eDub has pulled more wizardry out of the bag and made the performance spot on. eDub’s Golf Mk2 conversion is subtle and sprightly, you can feel that with a little twitch of your right foot. This thing could really take off. Even with an open road, you’re a little afraid to go full throttle, but knowing that the beast can take it puts a little smirk on your face.

eDub has spent the last 15 months perfecting the components and fabrication work of this conversion. With unique, bespoke battery boxes and drive unit subframe, the engine bay of the Golf looks like it was designed to take this setup from the beginning.

This conversion features a 53 kWh battery pack with approximately 170 miles of range per charge. We’ll also start producing a 35 kWh version with 120 miles range for drivers who might want more storage or a lighter car. This conversion features CHAdeMO rapid charging, but future versions will use the more widespread CCS2 with 70 kW charging speed.

eDub Services ware now taking orders for Golf Mk2 conversions with production starting in 2022. Visit edubconversions.co.uk/golf-mk2 or call 01423 423 324 for more details.


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Jesper Berggreen

Jesper had his perspective on the world expanded vastly after having attended primary school in rural Africa in the early 1980s. And while educated a computer programmer and laboratory technician, working with computers and lab-robots at the institute of forensic medicine in Aarhus, Denmark, he never forgets what life is like having nothing. Thus it became obvious for him that technological advancement is necessary for the prosperity of all humankind, sharing this one vessel we call planet earth. However, technology has to be smart, clean, sustainable, widely accessible, and democratic in order to change the world for the better. Writing about clean energy, electric transportation, energy poverty, and related issues, he gets the message through to anyone who wants to know better. Jesper is founder of Lifelike.dk and a long-term investor in Tesla, Ørsted, and Vestas.

Jesper Berggreen has 241 posts and counting. See all posts by Jesper Berggreen