VW reportedly developing twin-drive PHEV Golf for 2011
Volkswagen is currently running a twenty strong test fleet of Twin-Drive Golfs in and around Berlin Germany and the results of this work are expected to hit the retail market around 2011. The current test models are using diesel engines but the production versions are likely to switch to gasoline when their 30-mile electric range has been expended. With coming EURO VI emissions standards that approach the U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 standards, a diesel hybrid would simply be too expensive to be commercially viable. The drivetrain layout of the Twin-Drive is different from the approach being used by current parallel hybrids or extended range EVs like the Volt. While the Volt ER-EV is a series hybrid setup where only the electric motor is mechanically coupled to the wheels, the Golf is a parallel system but without a transmission. The single reduction gear ratio is comparable to a normal high gear and the torque of the electric motor is used to provide the equivalent of the torque multiplication that is normally achieved with a lower gears. The absence of a conventional gearbox compensates for some of the added weight of the battery and motor. A 12 kWh Sanyo lithium ion battery pack provides 30 miles of driving range and energy storage from the regenerative braking.
[Source: Motor Trend]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ryan 10:48AM (9/30/2008)
This would actually probably be one of the most idealistic mass production cars ever if it were to ever be realized. Enough juice to get you to the office and back. A tank of diesel that would be propelling a small and efficient car for the weekend getaway. All of your bases are covered. Well, unless you NEED to drag around a boat with you...
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CanaDoc 11:23AM (9/30/2008)
Diesel would be great but Sam wrote, "With coming EURO VI emissions standards that approach the U.S. Tier 2 Bin 5 standards, a diesel hybrid would simply be too expensive to be commercially viable." - right there in the middle of the article. I wonder if he was just speculating on that tho - why would you run a 'test fleet' for a production vehicle with such a significantly different powertrain?
I hope this isn't the case... if anyone was going to be the champion of diesel hybrids, I'dve put my money on VW.
paulwesterberg 4:28PM (9/30/2008)
With only a reduction gear and no real transmission diesel seems like a better choice since you can get better torque at low rpms.
I wonder how the costs in money and weight of adding the range extender in this configuration compare to doubling or tripling the size of the battery pack.
It seems like in a setup like this the range extender would never charge the battery pack, you would use the battery for the first portion of a trip(with some mixed mode for high speed acceleration?) and then mixed mode, and then gas only. The longer you drive the worse mileage & performance you would get.
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ryan 8:46AM (10/01/2008)
Right, which is why I said it would be one of the most IDEALISTIC cars ever mass produced if the project could be realized. So, assuming that VW were to go forward and put such a car on the market, those who took the upfront plunge for the car, would be driving one of the greatest cars on the road. They would have cheap as heck day to day driving via the batteries, and great FE from the small diesel for any long hauls. Key word was "idealistic"... as in it would be the ideal car to own as it would cater to most everyone's needs, while having great cost of ownership for most people.
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