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AJAC Awards
We are excited to share with you that The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) has awarded the All-New 2011 Jetta TDI Clean Diesel the title Best New Family Car under $30,000 and the All-New 2011 Touareg the title Best New SUV / CUV over $50,000.
Celebrate with us and spread the news!
http://ow.ly/31AFp
The Diesel of Tomorrow
Will diesel fit with the emerging “clean” car of the future?
With the volume of communications produced daily on issues of climate change, global weirding, GHG emissions and the “decarbonization” of the personal automobile, you might begin to think that the diesel powertrain’s days are nearly over. As you read through this, keep in mind the average vehicle on the road today produces about 200 grams of CO2 for every kilometre driven. Click here for an explanation of g/km.
Here are three reasons to think diesel will be with us in the future:
1 . The 2010 Golf TDI Clean Diesel
Fuel Efficiency – 4.6–6.7L/100 km
Emissions – 136 g/km CO2
In this short test drive video from DriverSide.com, you can have a quick peek at the Golf TDI available in showrooms today. It is important to note that Clean Diesel TDIs already exceed the CO2 g/km emission requirements through model year 2015.
2. The VW Twin Drive
Fuel Efficiency – Est. 3L/100 km
Emissions – Est. 80g/km CO2
There are about 20 of these pre-production diesel plug-in hybrids driving around Germany today.
3. Up! Lite
Fuel Efficiency – 3.5L/100 km
Emissions – 65 g/km CO2
This video from the 2009 LA Auto Show will give you an idea of what may be around the corner for clean diesel. Yes, this 65 g/km CO2 vehicle is a diesel!
Balloons, Google and Carbon
Is the new measure of a clean vehicle the amount of carbon it emits?
Not exactly.
Europeans have been comparing vehicle models in relation to carbon emissions for years. Obviously, this is nothing new for Volkswagen, however, here in North America, the concept of measuring carbon emissions – CO2 – in terms of grams per kilometre or g/km is new. In September 2009 the Canadian Federal Minister of the Environment moved the g/km metric to the forefront of automotive emission standards policy in preparation for new U.S. standards set to begin in model year 2012.
What exactly is g/km? CO2 is invisible. How big is a gram of CO2?
There is a fun way to see what 50 grams of CO2 could look like in this video of Australian black balloons.
G/km is the unit used to measure greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) – mostly carbon dioxide –of motorized vehicles. In other words, how much CO2 will a particular vehicle produce when driving one kilometre. When we think about our personal vehicles and the CO2 they emit, is 50 grams a little or a lot? How many balloons do our vehicles emit?
Well, if we compare cars to computer servers, then, yes, 50 grams appears to be a big number. Independent researchers have ascertained that “In terms of greenhouse gases, one Google search is equivalent to about 0.2 grams of CO2.” They then go on to say that “the average car driven for one kilometre (0.6 miles for those in the U.S.) produces as much greenhouse gas as a thousand Google searches.”
The average car on the road today emits about 200 g/km. By comparison, a kilometre driven in a new TDI is equivalent to about 680 Google searches or 136 g/km or two and a half balloons 
.
To discover the amount of CO2 emitted by your current vehicle, try the Comparator here on TDI Curious. The value you receive will be CO2 kg/year. (Does someone want to ask VW if they will add a g/km option?)
The Touareg TDI Clean Diesel breaks records at the Dakar 2010
My most recent blog was all about the ethnic origins of the Touareg TDI Clean Diesel and its performance on asphalt and rough terrain. Now I’d like to talk about Volkswagen’s SUV once again, but this time in regard to its triple win at the Dakar rally, the most gruelling automobile race in the world!
The Dakar rally is tough on everybody. On the vehicles, of course. But also on the pilots and co-pilots who compete for a podium spot on behalf of win-hungry builders of cars, motorcycles, quads and even trucks. Held from January 2 to 16, the 2010 edition featured a wild race across rough terrain in Argentina and Chile, and a prolonged stay in the Atacama Desert, which was the highlight of a 9,000 kilometre loop winding its way through South America. Participants were put through intolerable heat, dust storms, stone-strewn roads, rocky outcroppings, twisting turns and high-speed sprints in breathtaking scenery that included the 6,000-metre summits of the Andes and the Argentinean Pampa. A high-level challenge for hardened pros, this was no race for beginners. However, as every year, a horde of amateurs did enter the race at their own risk.
Only those car makers that have unwavering faith in the toughness and quality of their products dare to enter their most race-worthy products: BMW, Ford, Hummer, Hyundai, Isuzu, Jeep, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota and, last but not least, Volkswagen. You won’t find Chrysler, Buick and General Motors, who are probably terrified of seeing their transmissions break down at the first hairpin curve.
This year, 9-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel was forced to admit defeat at the wheel of a BMW X3 despite all his talent. He just couldn’t cope with the Touareg’s TDI Clean Diesel technology and the unmatched performance of Volkswagen drivers. The former champion had to settle for fourth place, coming in more than two hours after the winner, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz of the Volkswagen team. Sainz was driving a race Touareg fitted with a 300 hp TDI Clean Diesel engine. It should also be noted that the second and third place were won by Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mark Miller, respectively, both driving a race Touareg as well. This was the first time Volkswagen took the entire podium, and also the first time Volkswagen’s TDI Clean Diesel technology made such an impression in the face of its gas-engine adversaries.
The Dakar hadn’t seen an entire podium occupied by a single team since 2003, with the ascendency of Mitsubishi and the Masuoka-Fontenay-Peterhansel-Sousa power squad. So Volkswagen’s win is that much more remarkable and something of a triumph. I invite you to watch the Dakar video and “Carlos is Dakar King” interview on the official website of the event’s sponsor, Red Bull.
Here is the final ranking of the 2010 Dakar:
On a final note, let me just mention that when 1st-place winner Carlos Sainz returned to his native Spain, he was greeted by a race Touareg in his garden. This was an invitation to drive around the streets of Madrid and celebrate the Dakar victory with his compatriots and admirers. Many had seen his spectacular performance on the television and were keen to share in the glory of Spain’s “champion of the dunes.” The Dakar was watched by 2.2 billion people* from 189 countries, which means the same number saw how Volkswagen and its TDI Clean Diesel technology dominated the competition.
*Cumulative audience for dedicated programming and news.
The past, the present and the future of clean diesel with Peter Viney.
Interview with Peter Viney, director of Public Relations, Volkswagen Canada. The perfect opportunity to stop for a moments and look back at 2009 to see what the future holds.
What does the 2009 Green Vehicle of the Year prize awarded by Auto123 mean for the Golf TDI Clean Diesel?
It is a significant accomplishment considering the hybrid competition that the new 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Clean Diesel beat. We have always positioned our TDI Clean Diesel engine as an alternative for Canadian consumers, and we are proud that a group of 10 highly respected and recognized Canadian automotive journalists at Auto123.com have recognized it as such. Green is still considered an alternative in Canada, but we are doing our best to offer it as the mainstream. Our sales results indicate that our customers agree with us.
How do you explain the success experienced by the new-to-Canada Golf TDI Clean Diesel?
Awards are great, but it is the sales results that count. In November 2009, more than 1 in 3 Volkswagens sold were TDI Clean Diesel models. And Canadians recognize value when they see it. At a base price of $20,175, the new 2010 Golf is a premium vehicle in terms of its equipment, appointments, and fun-to-drive abilities without having the premium price. Bringing the TDI Clean Diesel engine to the Golf Family (it is also available with the Golf Wagon) is a natural decision for us.
How does the Golf TDI Clean Diesel stand out from its competitors?
Fuel efficiency allows the Volkswagen Golf TDI Clean Diesel to stand out from its competitors. With the Canadian price of diesel fuel a few cents a litre less than regular gasoline, and with 30% better fuel economy versus a similar-sized non-direct injection gasoline engine, the consumer quickly reaps the rewards of extended driving range and lower operating costs. Volkswagen diesels have always held their value, making them a smart choice for value-conscious consumers. Combine that with a best-in-class interior and ergonomic design, and there is nothing that comes close to the Volkswagen Golf TDI Clean Diesel for the price. It is the most affordable clean diesel vehicle sold in Canada.
What are the comments that you most often hear regarding the new Golf TDI Clean Diesel?
Canadian automotive journalists love it! We entered the Golf Wagon TDI Clean Diesel in AJAC’s recent 2009 TestFest competition, and it went on to win Canada’s Best New Family Car (under $30K). The Touareg TDI Clean Diesel also won its category as the Best New SUV/CUV ($35K-$60K). They love the torque, the acceleration at low RPMs, and the fuel efficiency. Most of all, they find it surprisingly quiet. We have managed to convince a lot of sceptics that there is such a thing as a “Clean” Diesel. We would have entered the TDI Clean Diesel in the Golf class, but we figured winning 3 Best New Vehicle awards (out of 12) was enough for one year!
When we launched TDI Clean Diesel in the Jetta last August of 2008, we were quietly optimistic that our current diesel customers would buy it. We never imagined how many other consumers would gravitate to it considering the hype over hybrid. Our customers love their TDI Clean Diesels, and challenge each other for distance travelled and trade tips on getting the most out of each fill-up. There are even blogs out there detailing their travels!
In 2009, Canadians were treated to two new TDI models – the Touareg TDI Clean Diesel and the Golf TDI Clean Diesel – which brought the number of TDI Clean Diesel models to four. Will this expansion continue in 2010? What will be the next TDI model offered in Canada?
In 2010, we are introducing the next generation of the Jetta. Designed for North American tastes, and with all the German engineering where it counts, the new larger Jetta will feature our TDI Clean Diesel engine. While this may seem like a replacement of the current Jetta, this new model will bring TDI Clean Diesel clearly into the automotive mainstream. Further expansion will come in 2011, with the all-new NMS (intermediate class) car with TDI Clean Diesel to replace the Passat Sedan. Volkswagen Canada evaluates every new model it introduces for a TDI Clean Diesel fit, and we will expand the TDI Family where it makes sense.
Seeing all the prizes awarded to vehicles equipped with TDI technology this year, one might think that VW is gaining ground with its TDI Clean Diesel vehicles in North America. Is this the case?
Definitely. Over 25% of our retail sales in Canada this year are TDI Clean Diesel models, and this will grow further with the recent launch of the new Golf TDI Clean Diesel. When we won Green Car of the Year last year in L.A. with the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel, we used the award extensively in our marketing, and now people associate the Jetta with this prize.
Are all these awards making Volkswagen TDI technologies more popular?
Yes, and it allows us to talk about how TDI Clean Diesel fits into the overall sustainability of Volkswagen’s BlueMotionTechnologies. Along with TDI, we have DSG dual-clutch automatic transmissions available to further enhance fuel economy. Our direct-injection TSI gasoline engines are also part of our highly efficient range of engines, and available in the Golf GTI, Passat Family, as well as the Eos and Tiguan. Hybrid, start-stop at idle, and brake energy recuperation are BlueMotionTechnologies. They are on their way to Canada to enhance TDI Clean Diesel in the future.
TDI Clean Diesel in America: where are we coming from and where are we going?
Visitors to this site and people on the Web in general often express their desire to see more TDI Clean Diesel vehicles offered in North America. In order of preference: the Tiguan, the Passat CC, the Polo, the Scirocco and the Amarock. I haven’t done a complete count, but I think people may be asking for the whole range of Volkswagen vehicles to be offered in a TDI version.
Such comments about TDI have led me to consider what has happened to TDI Clean Diesel in the past, and what is about to happen in the future.
In the space of a few months, two new models have been added to the TDI Clean Diesel line-up, i.e. the Touareg TDI Clean Diesel and the Golf TDI Clean Diesel, which brings the total number of Volkswagen TDI vehicles to four.
Two new diesel vehicles in the space of just a few months is quite a feat, especially given that not so long ago popular opinion of diesel was not so favourable.
In North America, diesel had a definite image problem and had to work on its reputation. Today, consumers know that TDI Clean Diesel is a responsible option, and they also know that Volkswagen’s diesel vehicles will offer them fun to drive as a bonus.
The numbers speak for themselves. In November of 2009, one out of every three vehicles sold in Canada was a TDI Clean Diesel.
Only electric vehicles used to be perceived as environmentally friendly. Today, diesel vehicles like the Golf TDI Clean Diesel and Jetta TDI Clean Diesel are considered to be among the cleanest vehicles on the road.
The popularity of hybrids was such that nobody could imagine a TDI Clean Diesel one day being named GREEN Car of the Year, and even less that TDI Clean Diesel would win the title two years in a row.
- 2009: Jetta TDI Clean Diesel voted Green Car of the Year.
- 2010 : The Audi A3 TDI is named Green Car of the Year.
Review of the Facts
Audi A3 TDI is 2010 Green Car of the Year. Clean Diesel Reigns!
TDI Technology from Volkswagen Honoured Yet Again
There’s one Canadian statistic that perfectly sums up the past year: nearly 26% of Volkswagens sold in 2009 were TDI Clean Diesels.
Volkswagen R&D – full speed ahead!
The level of investment in research and development is a good indicator of economic well-being. A company that develops new ideas is a healthy company. Volkswagen team are very busy researching and developing the car of the future. The L1 and the E-Up unveiled in Frankfurt last September, the Up! Lite making its world premiere at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show a few weeks ago, the recently unveiled compact hybrid coupe in Detroit whose pictures quickly made the rounds of the blogosphere – with so many concepts in the works and at the auto shows, it’s easy to conclude that Volkswagen is doing very well indeed.
The new Volkswagen Up! Lite animation
It’s still too early to say which of these concepts will make it to the assembly line, but if you want to keep an eye on Volkswagen’s latest technological advances, watch the video above. It’s the very latest concept from Volkswagen, i.e. the compact hybrid coupe mentioned above.
Volkswagen, which currently leads in the European market, hopes to extend its influence in North America. Another indication of the German car maker’s vitality is its return to the list of companies buying ad time in the renowned Super Bowl after a nine-year absence. Now there’s a sure sign things are going well at Volkswagen!
Volkswagen at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.
The press conference organized by Volkswagen during the Detroit Auto Show is now available as a video.
Part 1:
Part 2
You can also see the complete speech given by Stefan Jacoby, President of Volkswagen of America right here. Mr. Jacoby reviews Volkswagen’s achievements and the success of its TDI vehicles, and talks about VW’s new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as well as future plans.
Up! Lite, VW’s Latest Low-calorie Car Wonder
My green soul recently got all excited when Volkswagen announced that the most environmentally friendly car in the world is expected to hit the streets in 2010. I’m referring to my blog, The Future is Now with 100 km on 1L of fuel!, in which I presented Volkswagen’s “L1” (a name alluding to 1 litre of gas per 100 km), a city car for two featuring a tandem seat. I got just as excited when I learned about the latest jewel in VW’s green-car family, unveiled on December 4 at the Los Angeles Auto Show: I’m of course referring to the brand new VW Up! Lite. Despite its curious name – it sounds like a brand of low-fat ice cream – this new car has instantly become the greenest four-passenger car in the world!
The most environmentally friendly four-seater yet!
And a “four-seater” it truly is – the Up! Lite is a spacious hatchback where the seat release slides and pitches the seats forward for easy entry and exit, making it an option to take even “Omi” to the supermarket! (quick lesson in German: “Omi” is how Germans affectionately call their grandmothers). While you could certainly get some brownie points for driving Omi to the supermarket, the futuristic-looking Volkswagen Up! Lite is probably better suited for impressing your date when picking her up from Yoga class or inviting her out for an ecologically sustainable drive to the next vegan-eco-peace Raw Food Festival.
You asked for tech specs?
Big announcements call for big brass, so Volkswagen sent its very own R&D chief Ulrich Hackenberg to L.A. this year to present the good news in person. Here’s a closer look at what that good news is. First, some technical info: the Up! Lite comes packaged with a 51-horsepower 0.8-litre 2-cylinder TDI turbodiesel engine, a 10-kilowatt electric motor, a 7-speed version of VW’s slick Direct Shift Gearbox as well as top aerodynamics (Cd value: 0.237). Combine the electric motor with the TDI engine and there’s 65 horsepower to move the vehicle, which weighs just 695 kilograms – or 250 bags of eco-certified apples. Add to that some planned hybrid tricks such as regenerative braking, and the Up! Lite only consumes 3.36 litres/100 km !
Space included
The impressive feather-weight of the Up! Lite is achieved via a mix of aluminum, lightweight steel and carbon fibre: steel where the structure needs to be tough (the centre tunnel and door sills); aluminum where strength is rather optional (the floor), and carbon fibre in a few selected areas (such as the roof). Hackenberg’s team has done some real innovation here! Their creation can even haul 30 cubic feet of stuff – certainly more than enough to drive Junior to hockey training, with equipment and cheering pals included.
While some seem to recognize that the Up! Light bears an astonishing resemblance to the Volvo C30, it’s really more of a four-seat follow-up to the two-seat L1 car displayed at the Frankfurt auto show last fall.
Sources:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com
VW, Awards and Green consumption.
The fact that green cars have now become a ‘normal’ part of the personal mobility story is significant. Or so I think. Why? Awards help to narrow down the options for consumers. Let’s be honest, who really wants to spend time having someone tell them about the finer points of efficiency, carbon and how we can reduce our footprint if we just buy… blah blah blah. In announcing the winners of the best new cars for 2010, the AJAC website states, “In the market for a new vehicle? We’ve already done the legwork. AJAC determines a dozen of Canada’s best for 2010.”
The AJAC awards for best new cars 2010 were very good for Volkswagen. Volkswagen was the big winner, capturing three awards in total with two of these TDI Clean Diesel models – the Golf Wagon and the Touareg – the green machines.
TDI Clean Diesel sales remained strong throughout the month of October, accounting for 24% of all deliveries, including the best sales month ever for AJAC’s Best New SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k), the 2010 Touareg TDI Clean Diesel. Strong sales numbers on an up-scale ‘green’ SUV suggests that even in the luxury segment responsible mobility now plays an important role for many drivers. Wow, on average, one in every four Volkswagens sold in Canada in October would be considered green by today’s standards.
While short in duration the recent ‘great recession’ er…economic downturn, has certainly had a severe impact; consumer spending down, job losses, shifting industry priorities and of course cost cutting. Going into the downturn there was a fear among environmental/sustainability- minded folks that a recession would diminish demand for greener products. Green was like so many other things; just a fad, in time it would pass.
It seems demand for green has not diminished. It has kept pace. It has not ‘gone away’ as many thought. The most recent Canadian consumer numbers from McAllister Opinion Research support the hypothesis. You can see the full report by request here.
If you are doing the math on the numbers, the missing 4% are “DK/NA” (no answer / unsure). The survey was national among 1500 people aged 18 or older.
Following an energy conservation conference in Vancouver last month, I spoke with founder and CEO, Angus McAllister. Angus was confounded by the results of the survey: “despite the economic environment, the doom and gloom and what I call ‘green confusion’, consumers seem to be saying they still care about the planet and through their wallets are demonstrating a preference for responsible products”.
Still not convinced green cars and responsible consumption are the cool way forward? Pick up a print issue of the November 2009 Rolling Stone Magazine and find the six-page feature entitled Cars: The Next Generation – Detroit goes Green. In this article, the VW TDI Clean Diesel is listed alongside futuristic hybrid supercars, plug-ins and all electrics as the path forward in the next decade. That’s right, clean diesel and electric. The difference? I can drive a clean diesel today.
So why do awards matter? I mean really, a lot of people are skeptical. I know I am. And who really remembers who got what? Do you recall last year’ s 2009 Green Car of the Year winner…? Hint, this is a vw site :’)
In the end, I think awards (without the greenwashing) help to demystify the decision-making process, particularly for someone interested in purchasing an automobile.
What do you think?