VW e-Mobility Study Includes Plug-In Hybrid Wagon
Published July 7, 2011
By Jeff Cobb
VW Twin Drive Golf Prototype.
As the latest addition to its “fleet study in electric mobility,” Volkswagen has revealed its Golf Twin Drive plug-in station wagon prototype ahead of production schedule.
The fleet mobility study is intended to run until July 2012 and 20 Twin Drive prototypes in various configurations will be put into real world testing in anticipation of a 2013 retail launch.
All-electric range for the prototype is said to be about 35 miles, and the car is essentially an updated version of a Twin Drive hatchback VW unveiled in 2008.
Gasoline-power motivation comes from a direct-injected 1.4 liter providing a respectable 114 horsepower (85 kW). When the gasoline engine is working in tandem with the electric traction motor, power output is a combined 161 horsepower.
Total range is estimated at 559 miles, which naturally is a function of the fuel tank size combined with enhanced fuel economy.
Speaking of which, VW estimates fuel consumption at 112 mpg (2.1 liters per 100 km). Power is delivered via a single-speed transmission and the vehicle uses an electronically actuated “separation” clutch.
VW is testing two different battery packs from GAIA and SB LiMotive rated at 13.2 kWh and 11.2 kWh.
Performance is decent too, as it would almost have to be for a car from a land where legal road speeds can be much higher than in the U.S.
Top speed is said to be 106 mph, and 0-60 is “under 12 seconds.” In EV mode however, top speed is 75 mph.
As for the larger fleet mobility study, despite Greenpeace portraying the company as evil, VW announced June 28 from Berlin a number of environmentally friendly objectives.
As stated in the press release linked above, VW said it wishes to test viability of renewable energy usage for electric mobility, and is allied with six partners to research sustainable use of electric cars.
The company said it is supplying “innovative hardware in the Golf Variant twïnDRIVE” to examine a transition toward said technologies.
VW is also studying optimization of the electric power grid, and said plug-in hybrids will assume greater importance. Extensive data will be logged and analyzed as the company remains a force to be reckoned with in advanced-tech transportation.
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45 weeks ago
A 2013 launch? This should have been out last year.....
45 weeks ago
Haha it seems Mr Clean-Diesel-No-hybrids has had a change of thought, too late mates !
BTW how many millions have you lost maintaining hybrid-bashing clean-diesel websites, what a waste.
45 weeks ago
Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen is an ideal car for a 35 miles Plug-In version.
It is good mass market size and it is a Wagon - there is plenty of space for a battery and a cargo space.
If it was available right now I would probably buy it.
I hope Honda will use exactly the same size wagon for their upcoming Plug-In.
I love Jetta SportWagen design! Toyota, this is how a wagon looks like, not like Prius V where you cut back visibility and create blind spots!
45 weeks ago
thanks for the post!
45 weeks ago
thanks for the post!
45 weeks ago
this is already out already i think
45 weeks ago
Thunderdrive I invented gets 90 mpg and goes like zip. Works on same principle as lightning...Alfie-
42 weeks ago
From the article: 'Performance is decent too, as it would almost have to be for a car from a land where legal road speeds can be much higher than in the U.S. ... and 0-60 is “under 12 seconds.” '
I'd think 0-60 in the 11 seconds range is relatviely slow in most Americans' mind.
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10 weeks ago
Hybrid power describes the combination of a power producer and the means to store that power in an energy storage medium. how to get backlinks
In power engineering, the term 'hybrid' describes a combined power and energy storage system. It does not mean a "method," such as the popular use of hybrid to mean a vehicle like the Toyota Prius.
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4 weeks ago
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