Electric cars are well and truly here to stay now that mega manufacturer VW has unveiled its first full electric machines, the e-Golf and e-up! zero-emission four-door motors.

Other than the usual things like auto climate control, remote-controlled parking, satnav and LED headlights, these new cars have some electric-only plus points. In addition to the £2.76 per 100 km running costs.

The batteries have been cleverly laid along the base of the cars to offer a lower centre of gravity and better handling. And all the torque, thanks to the electric motor, is delivered instantly and practically silently with specifically developed gear boxes, motors and batteries.

The e-Golf is powered by an 85 kW / 115 PS electric motor capable of 12,000 rpm for 270 Nm torque - meaning 0-100 kph in a respectable 10.4 seconds and a limited 140 kph top speed. The e-up! is a smaller version with 60 kW / 82 PS motor capable of 210 Nm torque, 0-100 kph in 12.4 seconds and a 130 kph top speed.

vw unveils electric e golf and e up cars with 190 km range and 2 76 100 km running cost image 2

Now the important part: range. The e-Golf, with its 24.2 kWh battery, can handle 190km (118 miles) on a charge. The e-up! has a smaller 18.7 kWh battery that will deliver a 160km range.

With Normal, Eco and Eco+ modes along with D1, D2, D3 and B regenerative breaking levels the driver is given plenty of control over how much range or power is eked out of the e-car. The braking levels offer different stopping speeds and are achieved using the gear stick - yup, it will be like a new way of driving if you get it right.

So the e-Golf is going to get you 12.7 kW / 100km - which may not make much sense now but soon enough will be as common as mpg. But for now, in more relevant terms, that's about £2.76 per 100km.

Charging is another huge issue to consider. With the supplied mains cable, at 2.3kW, it will take 13 hours to fully charge the e-Golf battery. But with an optional extra wall box you can do it, at 3.6kW, in eight hours. Using fast charging station like CCS systems you can get an 80 per cent charge, at 40kW, in just half an hour. And there are plenty like these all over the UK right now.

Pricing and release dates haven't been announced yet.