Automakers such as BMW, Audi, and even Porsche which previously used diesel power over batter power, are now going green. Volkswagen confirms the plans to add hybrid variants of the Jetta in 2012, followed by the Golf and Passat a year later. Above all, as VeeDub also says it will offer a fully electric Golf and Jetta soon after the arrival of the electric Up! City car in 2013. The 2011 Touareg hybrid as the brand’s first gas-electric entry was launched and Volkswagen says it now wants to concentrate its electrification efforts on volume sellers, which it thinks should help elevate EVs status to the mainstream. VW also claims that it is behind the German government’s plan to see one million electric vehicles on German roads by 2020. Using the popular Golf and Jetta as the scaffold, VW is banking on these electric models to aid in protecting its scorecard in the race to become the world’s largest automaker.
As part of the announcement, Volkswagen showed a concept version of the electrified Golf, dubbed Golf blue-e-motion, that’s based on the current car. It uses an electric motor producing 114 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque. With a 26.5-kWh lithium-ion battery that takes up space under the rear seat and in the center tunnel and cargo hold. The electric Golf will use a system similar to the new Touareg hybrid’s, which permits the motor to separate from the drive train when coasting, this allows for less drag while still capturing energy to feed back into the batteries. Volkswagen plans to liberate a fleet of 500 electric Golfs for testing next year. Although VW has not yet officially confirmed its timing and offerings for alternative powertrains in the U.S., it is expected to see the hybrids, and will begin with the Jetta in mid-2012.
Via: caranddriver.com
