VW Reportedly Developing Twin-Drive Golf/Rabbit Plug-In Electric Hybrid for 2011
By Scott Doggett September 30, 2008
Volkswagen reportedly is running a 20-strong test fleet of plug-in Golf/Rabbit hybrids in and around Berlin with the expectation of bringing the model to market in 2011.
The current test models are using diesel engines to extend the vehicles' 30-mile electric range, Motor Trend reports, but the production versions are likely to get gasoline engines to keep costs down in the face of increasingly pricey diesel-emissions regulations.
Unlike the extended-range Chevrolet Volt gas-electric hybrid, which employs an electric powertrain and a gasoline generator that only energizes the battery pack, the VW's wheels will receive power directly from both the gasoline engine and the electric motor.
In a clever bit of engineering, that feat will be accomplished without a conventional gearbox, which will offset some of the weight of the motor and the 12 kilowatt-hour Sanyo lithium-ion battery pack.
The gearbox is limited to a single-gear ratio equivalent to the top gear in a conventional car. The electric motor is needed to supply low-end torque to get the car rolling to about 30 miles per hour, at which point the combustion engine will automatically clutch in and fire up. According to Motor Trend
, the electric assist then quickly fades but can be tapped for a power boost.
Other compelling features include 40 horsepower of regeneration braking and an "e-mode" button that can be pressed to keep the gas engine still. The latter feature would be useful in areas where access is limited to zero-emissions vehicles.
The system controller is linked to the vehicle's navigation system so it can calculate when best to use up the available battery charge (for example, if the system knows an urban area is ahead, it will run longer on the gasoline engine).
The controller can also ensure that the car arrives at its destination with depleted batteries, ready to take on cheap electricity rather than expensive gasoline.
LEAVE A COMMENT