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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?
The Future is Now with 100 km on 1L of fuel!
I was wondering the other day: “How would a Volkswagen TDI possibly look like in – let’s say 20 or 30 years from now?” Imagine a world with gas at $5 a litre (or more!), while global warming has transformed the southern border of Canada into a tropical paradise with lush vegetation and palm trees growing wild on Montreal’s Sainte-Catherine Street, Toronto’s Yonge Street and in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.
OK, gotta be honest here: experts actually agree on a new ice age looming if we don’t learn how to control our frantic consumption spree that is driving greenhouse gas emissions to new heights. The idyllic picture of higher temperatures that make people in the North dream about palm trees in their backyard seems somewhat erroneous: increased temperatures will more likely mean extreme weather events in the south, disastrous droughts in already arid corners of the planet, and a much colder climate in present temperate European and American regions. Seems that the warm influx of the Gulf Stream is at stake too! That obviously begs the question: How would the car of tomorrow need to look like to help us curb the potentially disastrous effects of global warming? What technologies are in the making at VW to help us prevent a disaster?
What technologies like Clean Diesel does the future hold? Let’s have a closer look at what’s happening in Germany right now.
The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions obviously depends on reducing fossil fuel consumption. As such, several options are open to car manufacturers looking for green solutions—and Volkswagen is an industry leader in this effort. Vehicle weight reduction (through Volkswagen’s Leichtbaustrategie), engine efficiency improvement (what Volkswagen refers to as “Motorentechnik”) and the search for alternative energy sources like ethanol or electricity (what Volkswagen has named its “Alternative Energiequellen”) are all on the books.
“Leicht ist gut!” – “Light is good!” or “The lighter the better.”
Let’s take a look at VW’s Leichtbaustrategie first. Volkswagen took up the challenge of doing what other car manufacturers thought was a pipe dream: a car that would consume one litre for every 100 kilometres (235 mpg). In 2009, this dream became a reality with the incredible Volkswagen L1 (a name alluding to the 1 litre), which was presented to Volkswagen shareholders by the company’s president, Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, during the annual general meeting. To highlight the event, Dr. Piëch didn’t hesitate to drive the futuristic vehicle off the assembly line himself and all the way to the meeting’s venue. Seems he had every faith in this first L1 model!
To see the L1 in motion, you may want to watch this :
A (rather) rare look at Volkswagen’s L1 prototype designer studio
And now some tech talk: The L1 weighs only an astonishing 290 kg with unpainted carbon fibre skin over a magnesium-alloy sub frame. For aerodynamics, the car seats two in tandem, rather than side-by-side. Total aerodynamic drag is minimal with a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.159, compared to 0.30 for typical cars. The L1 features an aircraft-style canopy, flat wheel covers and an underbelly cover for smoother airflow. Engine cooling vents open only as needed. The external dimensions of the car are 3.47 m (11.4 ft) long, 1.25 m (4.1 ft) wide and 1.0 m (3.3 ft) high. Cameras and electronic displays replace rear-view mirrors. There is a whopping 80 L (2.8 cubic ft) of storage space. The engine is a one-cylinder 299 cc (18 cubic in) diesel producing just 6.3 kW (8.4 hp), but the production version will use a 2-cylinder version with somewhat higher power. It will also differ in its toned-down hybrid design. Fuel economy is 0.99 L /100 km (238 mpg), which means that if diesel were $3 a gallon, the fuel to travel 400 miles would cost $5!
Now imagine this: Despite its futuristic look and revolutionary concept, the L1 is not a « concept car » but a “real car” designed to run on streets. Volkswagen confirmed the L1 to be available as soon as 2010 as a limited series vehicle, produced exclusively in the Volkswagen prototype factory at only around 1,000 cars per year. Launch of a single-seater is expected first in Shanghai during 2010. The price? $31,400 to $47,100 US. It is unknown if distribution will include Canada or the United States.
As a German tree-hugger living in North America, I would certainly like to drive a car like the Volkswagen L1. But I’m curious: is it something that the American people would be tempted to buy? Let me know…
Cheers,
Stephan
TDI Technology from Volkswagen Honoured Yet Again
Last November 26, the respected magazine Auto 123 announced the list of winners of its Auto123.com 2010 Awards.
The new Golf TDI Clean Diesel from Volkswagen was awarded one of the most anticipated honours of the day, that of 2010 Green Vehicle of the Year.
Peter Viney, Director of Public Relations at Volkswagen Canada, accepts the 2010 Green Vehicle of the Year Award.
Fuel consumption and distance covered—a good look at the records.
If I say less than 5 litres/100 km, you’ll probably think of a hybrid car or a diesel compact. Whatever. When you get down to brass tacks, it’s the person driving the car that makes all the difference when it comes to fuel economy. Human nature being what it is, paying attention to fuel economy can become a game that motivates one to always try to do better. This post is about those who regard manufacturers’ fuel consumption guidelines as a starting point rather that a goal.
The Austrian Gerhard Plattner holds the current record for the best highway fuel economy for a standard passenger car. He recently obtained a record 1,910 km with a Seat Ibiza Ecomotive, reaching an average fuel consumption of 2.34 litres/100 km.
Under the hood of the Seat Ibiza Ecomotive is a small 1.4 litre TDI engine, a 3-cylinder in-line version of the 4-cylinder engine that drivers here have learned to love in the course of the last decade.
The all-time highway record on a single tank for a standard car in any category is 2,248.3 km established in 2002 with a diesel Peugeot 406 by Helen and John Taylor, an Australian couple known for their numerous fuel economy records.
In America, Helen and John made a name for themselves mainly for their Guinness fuel economy record while crossing the lower 48 states in 2009. They travelled 15,300 km and consumed 530 litres for an average consumption of 3.46 litres/100 km. What car were they driving? You will have guessed that it was the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel.
Given the previous record, the new Golf TDI that has just arrived at your Volkswagen dealer promises to deliver outstanding fuel economy as well a great ride. With the Jetta TDI, the Golf TDI is in my opinion in a class on its own when it comes to driving experience.
Germany- A TDI Paradise
What a thrill to be able to experience the celebrated “Autobahn” during my two-week vacation in Germany this summer. As a Volkswagen-lover, you already know that there is no speed limit on the highways of the TDI’s country of birth.
Here’s how it works: the Germans have adopted a policy of no speed limits unless otherwise specified. The recommended speed is 130 km/h, which many Germans respect, according to Wikipedia, in order to get better mileage. The exceptional limits are imposed in keeping with safety requirements, and this happens on most of the German highway system.
That being said, it should be noted that practically all German highways have a reserved lane that allows anyone who has the horsepower to tear up the asphalt.
And how do TDIs fit in? Well, they’re everywhere. You’d think there was a TDI family reunion or something. The proof? I took a few pictures of the village where I was vacationing in the south of Germany, in Bavaria. In just a 5-minute outing from my hotel to the bakery, I counted no less than six TDIs out of a total of 15 cars. Even if this sampling isn’t applicable to the whole country, it still reflects the popularity of this particular engine.
In Germany, this success can most probably be explained by the fact that, first of all, the TDI is one of the most fuel-efficient engines around. It consumes less, and furthermore, it pollutes less than other cars given the same distance travelled. These are definite benefits in a country where fuel is costs almost twice as much as in Canada, and where people are sensitive to the environment. Canadians share these concerns as fuel prices increase and they realize that their country is the fourth most polluting country in the world.
New 2010 fuel economy figures: 90 km more per tank!
For 2010, the Jetta TDI with automatic DSG transmission has been given new fuel consumption figures by Transport Canada of 4.6L/100 km (highway), which is better than 2009 figures for the same car, which were 4.9L/100 km. Better yet, the DSG TDI gets more mileage than the manual TDI, which gets 4.8L/100 km.
So, between last year’s DSG TDI and this year’s, there’s a 90 km per tank improvement, i.e. 1190 km with a 55-litre tank vs. 1100 km in 2009. Hey, that’s 90 km more with every fill-up, 90 km with no pain and no sacrifice. It’s not to be sniffed at.
But perhaps I exaggerate. These 90 extra kilometres aren’t really new. They’re the product of new measuring practices at Transport Canada. And they’re very much welcome. But are these real-world figures? Not really. Because I got even better mileage last year with the manual version.
I think I’ll try and beat my own record, just to see if I can do it, but this time with a DSG TDI. Same conditions, same route, but with a little more weight to carry around, as my two girls are growing with every passing minute. Luckily, the parents remain unchanged as far as weight goes.
Last but not least is the usual legal: the 1190 km per tank is an approximate distance covered in a 2010 Jetta TDI Clean Diesel with DSG transmission and a fuel tank capacity of 55L. City fuel consumption is estimated at 6.7L/100 km. These fuel consumption figures have been published in the Government of Canada’s Energuide and are estimates to be used only for comparative purposes. Actual fuel consumption may vary based on driving conditions, driver habits and vehicle’s additional equipment.
What about you other TDI drivers? What’s your greatest distance covered with a single tank?
The new Golf TDI among the finalists for the 2010 World Green Car of the Year award.
Some very interesting news has been making headlines just as the new Golf family is arriving in Canada.
The new Golf TDI is among the five finalists being considered for the title of World Green Car of the Year, a title currently held by the 2009 Jetta TDI.
Those who would like to know the names of the other finalists: Green Car of the Year Finalists: Three Hybrids, Two Diesels
And here’s an article by Wes Siler of Jalopnik.com who was able to try out the latest Volkswagen offering.
The new Golf TDI is now arriving at dealerships across Canada. You’ve perhaps already tried it out. If that’s the case, don’t hesitate to share your impressions with us.
In your opinion, what are the chances of the new Golf TDI succeeding the 2009 Jetta TDI Clean Diesel as World Green Car of the Year?