2010 Geneva Auto Show: VW Weighs Plug-in Hybrids With Choice of Battery Sizes
By Scott Doggett March 4, 2010
Volkswagen said today that it's considering offering its perennially popular Golf (pictured) and Jetta models as plug-in hybrids, with a choice of variably sized battery packs, in the 2013 model year.
Ulrich Hackenberg, VW's chief of research and development, says the 2013 models could be offered with a choice of battery size (and therefore of zero-emission range) to suit different customer needs. The larger the battery, the bigger the up-front cost, but also the lower day-to-day costs.
On an interesting, practical note, Hackenberg revealed that the plug-in Jetta would have a greater electric-only range than the Golf because it has a larger trunk.
The VW Group is developing a transverse hybrid pack of modular design that will allow the drivetrain to be used across all VW's brands. The first VW hybrid to go on sale will be the Touareg, using a V6 gasoline-electric powertrain similar to the Porsche Cayenne hybrid's.
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