The Road to Electromobility

0 % Emissions. 100 % Emotions. The Road to Electromobility www.volkswagen.com/thinkblue Think. Think Blue. Think Blue: thinking further, getting further. Having a good idea is one thing. Bringing it to life is another. The combination of both is what “Think Blue.” means to us. The idea of cooperating for a sustainable future. Of motivating people to act responsibly. Of discovering that environmental consciousness can be fun. And last but not least, of constantly improving our technologies. Such as our BlueMotion models, which are constantly setting new records in terms of range and fuel consumption. For more information about “Think Blue.”, justjg go to www.volkswagen.com/thinkblue or download the free iPad App “Think Blue. World.” TB2012_BB_eng_220x270em.indd 1 07.05.12 09:29 www.volkswagen.com/thinkblue CONTENTS 3 Think. Think Blue. Contents 4 Editorial 58 A look inside an electric car Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn Battery yes – ignition no 6 Overview 62 Battery technology Emissionless instead of emotionless – Research focus: battery technology Volkswagen and electromobility 71 Comment – Bernd Osterloh 10 Driving forces “We will be right up amongst the leaders” Climate change, urbanisation and the scarcity of crude oil are the driving forces behind electromobility 72 Well-to-wheel balance How environmentally-compatible is an 14 Drive and fuel strategy electric car really? The Volkswagen Group’s drive and fuel strategy Sustainable mobility as the guiding force 76 Customer requirements Car drivers want E-mobility – but easy to use 17 Internal combustion engines and affordable How new technologies make internal combustion engines even more economical 82 Test fleets 20 Natural gas vehicles Rolling out from test bed to everyday use Filling up with natural gas and protecting the environment 88 Naturstrom 22 Biofuels With blue power to emissions-free mobility From field to tank Think Blue: thinking further, getting further. 27 Full hybrid 92 Automobility 2.0 Having a good idea is one thing. Bringing it to life is another. The combination of both is what Entry into the electronic age Networked, intermodal and revolutionary 31 Plug-in hybrid “Think Blue.” means to us. The idea of cooperating for a sustainable future. Of motivating people The best of two worlds 100 Electromobility as a shared responsibility to act responsibly. Of discovering that environmental consciousness can be fun. And last but not least, 35 Battery electric vehicle Challenge for politics, science and energy providers of constantly improving our technologies. Such as our BlueMotion models, which are constantly The big chance for the future Fuel cell vehicle Comment – Olaf Tschimpke setting new records in terms of range and fuel consumption. For more information about “Think Blue.”, 42 111 Innovative, but a long way from series production “Demonstrating what is technically feasible” justjg go to www.volkswagen.com/thinkblue or download the free iPad App “Think Blue. World.” 44 History 112 Interview with Dr. Rudolf Krebs Renaissance instead of revolution: “Reinventing individual mobility” The development of electromobility 113 Facts 50 Volkswagen E-roadmap Volkswagen and electromobility Step-by-step into the electromobility age 114 Glossary 54 Mobility 2025 A day with the Lavida Blue-e-Motion 118 Imprint TB2012_BB_eng_220x270em.indd 1 07.05.12 09:29 4 VOlkSwagEN aND ElECTROMOBIlITY Dear Readers, Sustainable mobility is unquestionably one of electricity used to charge it up. The expansion of the key issues of the age. Climate change, rapidly renewable energy sources is therefore an absolute growing megacities, and the finite reserves of fos- priority. This is another reason why Volkswagen is sil fuels, have rung in a fundamental change in pushing renewable electricity production forward technology: low-emission vehicles are the future. in our own factories with massive investments in solar, wind and hydroelectric power. The facts are clear: the basic longing for individual mobility is growing world-wide – even though there The success of a new technology is ultimately de- are still strong variations in the patterns of use cided by the customers. And in the case of electro- from region to region. This is what is driving the mobility as well, customers are not looking for a Volks wagen Group to further develop the whole hastily prepared solution – they want a vehicle that spectrum of environmentally-compatible technolo- is safe, affordable and, most important, suitable gies – from ever more efficient internal combustion for day-to-day use. We will satisfy these require- engines, and the next generation of biofuels, and ments. The Volkswagen Group will be entering new, alternative means of traction. This can only be the electromobility age this year. The start will be achieved by innovative strength and financial pow- made by a small series of the Audi R8 e-tron at the er: we therefore invest the expertise of our 30,000 end of 2012, before we launch the e-up! in 2013, research and development staff, and around six bil- followed by the mass produced electric Golf. The lion Euros a year, in new environmentally-compat- first results from our global fleet of test cars are ible products and technologies. very promising – not only in terms of efficiency, but also the enjoyable driving experience. A very promising route to follow here is electromobility. Despite all of the initial euphoria, however, Although electric traction is an important strat- turning electric cars from a niche product into a egy, it is not the only route towards sustainable mass product still requires some major advances. mobility. Experts forecast that pure electric cars The concerns involve the storage batteries, as well will only corner a market share of two to three as the charging infrastructure. And ultimately, per cent by 2020. The key to lower consumption every electric car is only as climate-friendly as the and emissions in the medium term is therefore EDITORIal 5 Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn has been CEO of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft since January 2007. The PhD metallurgist, and honorary professor at the Applied Science Universities in Budapest and Dresden, has worked for the Volkswagen Group in various positions for over thirty years. the internal combustion engine, which we are sion driving and emotionally captivating mobility rigorously optimising. The potential that can be accessible to everyone – in the interests of the en- harnessed by intelligently marrying this technol- vironment and our customers. Read on to find out ogy with electric motors has already been demon- how far we have come in achieving these goals. strated by our XL1. And this plug-in technology is at the heart of a series of vehicles which we will Turn over the page for an electrifying read! be launching from 2013 onwards in various seg- ments and Group brands. Yours faithfully, From electric traction, hybrids or internal combustion engines – the Volkswagen Group takes its responsibility seriously as one of the world’s lead- ing carmakers. Our objective is to make low emis- Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn 6 VOlkSwagEN aND ElECTROMOBIlITY Emissionless instead of emotionless – Volkswagen and electromobility OVERVIEW 7 Emissionless instead of emotionless – Volkswagen and electromobility There is no doubt about the strong trend towards E-mobility. Some cast aspersions that the hydrogen and then the biofuel euphoria have now just been replaced by another new form of inconsequential media hype. But they are wrong. Very wrong. 8 VOlkSwagEN aND ElECTROMOBIlITY E-mobility has many facets: the prototype of the SEAT Leon TwinDrive combines the power of a highly efficient TSI with the muscle of an electric motor. evolutionary developments have taken place CO2 – even if conventional internal combustion R in recent years. Climate change, urbanisa- engines become increasingly fuel economical. tion, and rising oil prices – and small revolutions in storage technology and a growing environmen- Starting in 2013, we will bring the first pure elec- tal awareness: all of these aspects strongly indicate tric models onto the market in series production that the time has come for electromobility. in the form of the e-up!, and Golf Blue-e-Motion (also called the electric Golf in the following) – two Firstly, it is the only way for individual mobility to E-cars specially developed for the Chinese market. release itself from the shackles of specific fuels First on to the market though, with the launch this – electricity is more universally producible than year, will be Audi’s super sports car, the R8 e-tron any other kind of energy: it can be generated from which will be produced in a small series. People crude oil and uranium, as well as from biogas and expect Volkswagen to deliver affordable mobil- wind turbines. Secondly, this means that E-vehi- ity with maximum safety and the highest levels of cles are able to drive with a totally emissions-free comfort. And because Volkswagen does not use its balance – Volkswagen’s goal is to create the zero- end-customers to test its new technologies, we only CO2 car and therefore to rigorously promote the ever start mass production when all of the techni- expansion of renewable energy sources. cal and economic risks have been minimised. We do this by operating fleets of electric test vehicles E-cars are already emissionless at a local level – throughout the world. the third benefit compared to all competing drive concepts. Unlike diesel, petrol, natural gas and And because of its size, and especially thanks to its biofuels, only E-cars will be able to drive in tomor- multi-brand and modular strategy, the Volkswagen row’s megacities without emitting a gram of local Group has the strength to drive to the OVERVIEW 9 front even when starting from the second row – on the market, is very crucially dependent on the Volkswagen can win without first occupying the overall framework.

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