Dr Automotive Design and Tools

Volkswagen is set to launch a 100mpg Golf in 2020, in time to meet super-stringent EU fuel economy regulations. The greenest Golf — likely to be the blue-e-motion — is expected to have an average CO2 rating of just 75g/km.

Planned EU regulations require the average fuel economy across a maker’s entire range to average just 95g/km by 2020, which is forcing car makers into considering radical methods to drive down consumption.

Launched as part of the Mk8 Golf line-up, the super-frugal car will feature much of the technology featured in the new XL1. But it’s expected to get a next-generation version of the two-cylinder hybrid powertrain.

A combination of improved combustion technology and new materials should allow the engine to have a higher power density and still use slightly less fuel.

However, VW sources say the super-frugal Golf will also have to see significant friction reduction and aerodynamic improvement as well as a big weight loss. Carbon-reinforced plastics could be used for the bonnet and roof panels, for example, and heavy sound deadening is likely to be replaced by a sound cancellation system working through the car’s audio.

Volkswagen is putting the final touches to a super-economical version of the Up city car, which will be good for at least 95mpg.

Expected to be called the Up blue-e-motion, the model will be powered by a production version of the powertrain from the XL1 concept, company sources say.

Based on today’s four-cylinder, 1.6-litre VW Group diesel engine, the Up’s twin-cylinder, 800cc turbodiesel is expected to develop just 47bhp, but will be ‘assisted’ by a 26bhp electric motor. The engine’s block is made from aluminium and the bores are plasma coated. It also gets a sophisticated balancer shaft set-up to smooth out the inherently unbalanced two-cylinder layout. The engine and electric motor will be coupled to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Unlike the XL1, however, the Up blue-e-motion will not be able to travel solely on battery power. That’s because the car’s battery pack will only be large enough to power the electric motor during standing starts or for brief periods of hard acceleration. Energy will be reclaimed during braking to help recharge the battery.

The Up is also likely to be equipped with the XL1’s new ‘pulse starting’ feature, which will make the car’s stop-start mode much more seamless. In pulse starting, the electric motor spins the idle engine up to the required speed for its restart, making it virtually undetectable by the driver.

When the XL1 is being powered purely by this hybrid diesel engine, it returns 141mpg on the EU test cycle. However, the Up will be at least 300kg heavier than the carbonfibre-bodied XL1 and will have more aerodynamic drag, due to its bigger cabin and much greater frontal area, which means fuel economy will be reduced by about a third when compared with the concept.

Volkswagen today presented the XL1 prototype, the eagerly-awaited vehicle that consumes only 0.9 l/100km (261.3 US mpg - 313 IMP mpg)! Scheduled to make its world debut at the Qatar Motor Show (26-29 January), the new concept releases only 24 grams of CO2 per kilometer, obviously thanks to a series of technological innovations, all of them supposed to cut emissions and improve mileage.

The XL1 uses a combination of lightweight construction, monocoque and add-on parts made of carbon fiber, a very low aerodynamic drag (0.186) plus a very advanced plug-in hybrid system which relies on a two-cylinder TDI engine and an electric motor.

Specifically, the car measures 3,888 mm / 1,665 mm / 1,156 mm (153 in / 65.5 in / 45.5 in) and has a wheelbase of 2,224 mm (87.5 in). The 800 cm3 two-cylinder TDI engine generates a maximum power of 48 hp and 120 Nm of torque, while the electric motor adds an extra 27 hp and 100 Nm of torque. The powertrains are mated to a 7-speed DSG, with the electric unit being backed by a lithium-ion battery pack.

Weighing only 795 kilos, the car can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 11.9 seconds, while achieving a maximum electronically-limited speed of 160 km/h (99.4 mph). The estimated range of the electric motor is 35 kilometers, while the whole autonomy, TDI plus electric, goes up to 550 km with only 10 liters of fuel.

Sanyo plans to raise its annual output capacity for automotive lithium-ion batteries by 150 percent, by investing about 15 billion yen (about $180 million) in a key plant, the Nikkei reported.

Sanyo's production lines at the Kasai plant in Hyogyo Prefecture, which will double to four in 2011, will produce batteries with capacities of 20 ampere-hours or higher for use in plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, the daily said.

The company produces lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles made by the Volkswagen AG group, the business daily said.

By boosting capacity, Sanyo aims to use the plant -- among the top in the world in production capacity for automotive lithium-ion batteries -- as its main supply base for three automakers, Nikkei said.

Panasonic, which will turn Sanyo into a wholly owned unit next spring, is positioning automotive lithium-ion batteries as a pillar of its group operations, the daily said.

At a combined share of 26 percent, Sanyo and Panasonic led the global market for cellular phone lithium-ion batteries in the July-September quarter, according to Tokyo firm Techno Systems Research Co, the Nikkei said.

By expanding operations, the team is looking to be the global leader in the field of automotive lithium-ion batteries.

This week Katie Fehrenbacher goes for a spin in VW's all-electric car the Blue-e-motion Golf.

Volkswagen won't launch their EV until late 2013, or 2014. VW say they intend to wait for the next generation A7 Golf platform so they can make the necessary changes to the vehicle's floor plan to accommodate the 'T' shaped battery pack they intend to use.

The Blue-e-motion also has four driving modes that drivers can use to change how aggressive, or not, the regenerative braking of the car is.

The sparks are flying in Germany as Volkswagen and Audi are fighting over the brand's EV strategy.

Details are sketchy, but the Financial Times Deutschland is reporting Audi wants to develop electric vehicles independently of Volkswagen. This hasn't made the parent company happy as sources have indicated VW has "frowned upon" Audi's "anarchist project."

The real problem seems to be Audi's refusal to drop the Wankel engine from the A1 e-Tron. If Audi keeps the engine, it would be a costly move as Volkswagen doesn't build a rotary engine and they'd be forced to develop it with another partner - possibly Mazda.

As we have previously reported, the A1 e-Tron features a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery which powers an electric motor that produces a continuous 45 kW (61 PS / 60 hp) and 150 Nm (111 lb-ft) of torque. It can travel up to 50 km (31 miles) on electricity alone, before a Wankel engine activates to recharge the batteries.

Source: Financial Times Deutschland

A conceptual twist on a British institution has been unveiled in the form of the Volkswagen Taxi Concept – the latest evolution in a series of 'World Taxis' based on the underpinnings of the forthcoming UP! city car.

The man behind the project, Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design at Volkswagen, was present in Central London earlier today to unveil the car.

Designed to meet the challenges faced by vehicles in modern cities, with ever tighter restrictions on space and emissions, the Volkswagen Taxi Concept is powered by an electric motor fed by lithium-ion batteries. With a capacity of 45 kW/h the batteries allow the electric motor to generate a maximum power output of 115 PS, translating to a theoretical top speed of 74 mph.

The range of the Volkswagen Taxi Concept is estimated at 186 miles between charges with an 80 per cent charge taking around one hour to complete.

The Concept, which measures 3,730 mm in length, 1,680 mm in width and 1,600 mm in height, is shorter than the current smallest Volkswagen, the Fox. However its long wheelbase and minimal front and rear overhangs allow it to have a spacious cabin with room for two adults to be seated in comfort plus an allocated area for luggage. At the front, the driving environment is similarly spacious, an impression emphasised by the large glass area.

The theme running throughout the vehicle is simplicity, with an elegant, clutter-free look to the interior. The major functions of the vehicle including climate, entertainment and fare information are all grouped onto one touchscreen display mounted next to the driver. In the back a similar screen relays information to the passengers on their route and their immediate environment. Despite its modest size, the Volkswagen Taxi Concept feels luxurious, with use of cream leather and individual, as opposed to bench, seats.

The styling draws on that of the UP!, Space UP! and Space UP! Blue concept cars and features deliberately tongue-in-cheek details such as the silver Union Jack on the roof and the City of London's coat of arms resplendent on either side of the vehicle as well as on the dashboard.

Elegant daytime running lights mounted within the headlight units are joined by a distinctive 'Taxi' light on the roof. This has two settings – it glows green, indicating when it's free and red when it's not.

At the rear the light units are integrated into the 60:40 split tailgate, behind which are a pair of cubbies to house the belongings of the driver.

While the concept doesn't adhere to current legal requirements regulating taxis in London it does offer an insight into the possibility of a future small, efficient taxi that offers an alternative to conventional fuels.

Volkswagen unveiled a new electric vehicle, the E-Bora, Tuesday in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province.

The company plans to trial the E-Bora next year in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, and Changchun City, Jilin, with a full market launch in 2013.

The Bora is stocked with VW’s Blue-e-Motion Li-ion batteries rated at 26.5kWH whilst the batteries weigh in at 315kg including their cooling systems.

The E-Bora's traction motor was developed by Sanyo with batteries supplied by BYD. VW are also working with various other battery suppliers to find the optimal one.

Audi has big plans for its electric vehicle business.

"By 2020, we want to be the leading premium seller of electric vehicles," Franciscus van Meel, Audi's manager for electric mobility strategy, said at a recent technical workshop at the company's headquarters here.

"We will successively bring out a variety of hybrid models and electric vehicles, such as our first plug-in hybrid in 2014," he said, without sharing more details on the plug-in hybrid.

Audi's alternative powertrain plan includes: full-hybrid versions of the A8 upper-premium sedan and Q5 SUV, both due in late 2011; a hybrid A6 that is likely to arrive in 2012; plus a range of high-priced electric cars starting with the limited-edition battery-powered e-tron version of the R8 supercar in 2012.

Audi set up the e-tron division to develop and produce EVs. The brand's electric-car approach is different from that of rival BMW AG, which is developing the smaller so-called Megacity Vehicle designed for urban commuting. The Megacity Vehicle is due to launch in 2013.

"Today we're assuming that our sales of Audi e-tron electric cars will rise to a six-figure volume by 2020," van Meel said.

By 2020, Audi wants to increase the efficiency of its internal combustion engines by 30 percent and wants 5 percent of the brand's lineup to be electric, Michael Dick, Audi's board member for technology, said earlier this year.

To help it meet that goal, Audi recently opened a 65 million euro (about $89 million), 14,000-square-meter electric-drive development and test center at its headquarters. It plans to hire 840 people to help develop electric powertrains and batteries.

Audi parent Volkswagen AG wants the group to be No. 1 in hybrid and electric cars before the end of the decade, increasing its EV market share to 3 percent of its forecast global sales of 10 million vehicles by 2018.

Globally, VW Group plans to launch a full-electric version of its Up minicar, the E-Up, E-Golf and E-Jetta in 2013. VW recently announced they will invest $71.2 billion focused on hybrids and electric vehicle development over the next 4 years.

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Land Rover, Bentley, Mercedes

Volkswagen says it plans to invest 51.6 billion euros ($A71.2 billion) in the next four years to develop new models and attain its objective of becoming the world's top car maker by 2018.

With another 10.6 billion euros ($A14.63 billion) to be invested by its joint ventures in China, the German car maker said it aims to "expand and modernise its entire product line across all of its brands".

The investments, to come from the company's own funds, will focus on hybrids and electric vehicles, where it lags behind Japan's Toyota, which it hopes to unseat as the top global car maker within seven years.

Last year Volkswagen said it planned to invest 25.8 billion euros ($A35.6 billion) between 2010 and 2012.

Volkswagen steered around being significantly damaged by the global crisis, thanks in large part to continued boom the Chinese car market, and was sitting on a cash pile of 19.6 billion euros ($A27.05 billion) at the end of September.

The company, which owns nine brands, is in the process of absorbing a tenth, luxury sports car maker Porsche.