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The e-Mission. Electric Mobility and the Environment. »Electric run with zero emissions.« »So e-cars that run on green power produce no CO2 at all?« »But won’t old e-cars create a new waste problem?«

Dr. Rudolf Krebs Wolfram Thomas Group Chief Officer for Group Chief Officer for Electric Traction the Environment, Energy and New Business Areas Change is coming.

Not only out on the road … We are on a mission – an e-Mission, where “e” stands for electric. and resources offer the best long-term prospects? What is the best Electric mobility is on its way – electric mobility from . way of minimising manufacturing emissions for electric compo- Electric powertrains hold the key to long-term sustainable mobility. nents? And above all: how will the to power the electric Fleet trials have already been successfully completed. And the first cars of the future be generated? And how will this affect the overall volume-production all-electric vehicles of will environmental footprint of electric mobility? soon be taking to the road. Volkswagen has designated 2013 the Year of the Electric . But get- This brochure sets out our answers to many of these questions. Be- ting an on the road is only one side of the coin. Elec- cause we are not only looking to build electric cars. We will also be tric vehicles from Volkswagen need to form part of an approach that delivering responsible solutions that address the wider implications takes a wider range of issues into account. Volkswagen stands for res- and infrastructure of electric mobility. Obviously an electric car is ponsible business practices towards its employees, towards society emission-free at the point of use. But for Volkswagen, the responsibi- and towards the environment. Ultimately, our aim is to become the lity does not stop there. We are raising the bar substantially in terms world’s most eco-friendly automaker. of sustainability. Our aim is to ensure that electric mobility is carbon- neutral over the entire vehicle We are well aware that elec- life cycle. tric mobility is more than We are raising the bar substantially In other words, targeting zero just a new form of propul- emissions is our e-Mission. sion. It is also one that will in terms of sustainability. The e-Mission is based on our massively change the car as life-cycle-oriented approach to we know it, the way it is used and the way it is manufactured. New re- environmentally sustainable product development, which is firmly … but also in the way sources and materials will be required, from for the batte- anchored in our corporate principles. This approach highlights not ries to neodymium for the electric motors. Production systems will only the more familiar environmental impacts of the car, but also the have to be restructured and employees will have to be trained to work less obvious ones, impacts which at first glance might appear unrela- with new electric technology and components. ted to the automobile and road traffic. Particularly at a time of farrea- we think. In other words, we are facing an automotive sea change. Electric mo- ching change in the , this work throws up impor- bility is changing the way we think. We will have to think hard, for tant and fascinating challenges, the most exciting of which are set example, about fundamental questions such as: what raw materials out in this brochure.

Dr. Rudolf Krebs, Wolfram Thomas

2 3 »Electric cars run with zero emissions.« But electricity doesn’t grow on trees.

4 5 g CO2/km However, if the electricity is ge- Electricity has the power. nerated entirely from renewable sources, emissions show a steep fall. has a footprint But for electric cars, some kinds of just 1 g CO2/km. These emis- sions are generated during the production and servicing of the of power are better than others. turbines. 8Electricity first has 8to be generated – using either renewable or fossil feed- stocks. And because electricity genera- tion inevitably produces CO2, it follows Wind energy is one of the big hopes of the future for electric vehicles. The annual output of that electric cars have a carbon footprint too. Based on the European generation a single 2-MW wind turbine would be enough to keep over 4,000 electric cars charged for a mix, this footprint works out at an ave- year, assuming an average annual mileage of 10,000 kilometres. rage of 88 g CO2/km.

More background on the CO2 g CO2/km statistics can be found at: www.volkswagenag.com > Sustainability and Responsibility.

Renewable electricity Charging infrastructure Swarm power

Electric cars are emission-free at the point of use. But In China, it would emit 184 grams of CO2 per kilome- VW Kraftwerk GmbH made green power For Volkswagen there is more to electric In future, e-cars could further assist the en- how do things look when we trace the electricity back tre, almost twice as much as a fuel-efficient diesel mo- available for the German fleet trials of the mobility than building electric vehicles. We ergy revolution by taking on an additional to its source? Do we even know where the energy del. The same electric car charged at an average electric Golf in 2011/2012. This 100% renew- also look at wider issues such as the char- role as buffers. Wind energy, we’re putting into electric cars comes from? German household power socket would to CO2 able electricity is sourced for example from ging infrastructure. The ideal solution here for example, is not always available when it’s Some of us might simply say the electricity comes from emissions of around 112 grams per kilometre. hydroelectric power plants in the Alps. Cer- is a garage- or carport-installed wallbox needed. So cars recharged overnight with a socket in the wall. And indeed, it can often be diffi- However, if that electricity was sourced exclusively tificates of origin for this power were is- charger. 1wind energy could feed back some of this cult to be more precise than that. After all, each coun- from wind turbines, those emissions would fall to no sued by the TÜV NORD technical specifica- buffered electricity. Volkswagen is working try and region has its own generation mix. For exam- more than one gram per kilometre. tion body. The Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg has its closely with partner companies and research ple a typical compact-class electric car running on the AG is investing in an offshore wind own on-site electric . This establishments to develop appropriate solu- average European electricity mix would emit 88 g CO2 For Volkswagen, therefore, it is clear that the goal turbine project in the North Sea. These tur- pioneering facility generates its own power tions. In another approach to decentralized per kilometre. This is less than most combustion- must be to charge electric cars solely from regenera- bines are currently generating around from wind and and stores it in “swarm” power, Volkswagen EcoBlue com- engined vehicles, but not much less. tive sources. And the proof that green power is indeed 53 GWh of power a year. This amount of a state-of-the-art battery system. bined heat and power plants could likewise one hundred percent physically generated renewable power would meet the requirements of a be used as a way of meeting . In some countries, though, the picture is very diffe- power can be provided by certificates of origin. medium-sized city for a whole year, or keep These can be operated on or bio- rent. China, for example, produces more than three almost 30,000 electric cars running for gas, and can therefore make a significant quarters of its electricity from coal, and the USA In sum, to offer a truly eco-friendly solution in terms 10,000 kilometres. contribution to reducing CO2 emissions. around half. So an electric car charged from the natio- of overall emissions – and not just at the point of use – nal grid in one of these countries actually generates electric cars must be powered by electricity from more CO2 emissions than a petrol-engined car. sources.

6 7 »So e-cars that run on green power produce no CO at all?« 2 But they don’t fall from the sky either.

8 9 The Volkswagen Group is aiming to make its production operations 25 per- g CO2/km cent more eco-friendly by 2018. In concrete terms, these cuts will relate to energy and water consumption, emissions and waste. For more information, see www.volkswagenag.com > The Group > Strategy.

74 With our green factory concept, Building a car requires a lot of we are aiming to reduce CO2 energy. At the current state of emissions at our factories by 25% the art, each electric car has al- for every vehicle produced. And ready generated 74 g CO2/km by collaborating with our part- before it even hits the road. ners in the supply chain, we can extend this goal to all stages of the production process.

Zero-emission production. The green factory. 55g CO2/km

The evening sun bathes the rooftop solar panels in a fiery red glow, as the wind rotates the wind turbines, rustles the leaves in the “energy-wood” plantation and ripples the surface of Energy strategy ning, the Volkswagen Chattanooga By reducing the weight of some com- the rainwater retention basin. Sometimes there can be something almost romantic about a plant became the first and only auto- ponents by as much as 36%, signifi- low-carbon factory. Volkswagen is currently investing motive plant in the world to date to cant CO2 savings can be achieved at around €600 million in renewable achieve platinum certification under the production stage too. energy expansion. The aim is to re- the LEED (Leadership in Energy and duce the Environmental Design) programme. Environmental management associated with our production-rela- ted energy supplies by 40% by 2020. The Ingolstadt plant today recycles Environmental management systems 95% of its metallic production waste. are designed to ensure a continuous New low-CO2 gas-and-steam power The Chemnitz engine plant recently improvement in production-related Where does a circle begin and where does it end? The So the goal for new factories of the future is clear: they stations, for example at the Kassel received the “Factory of the Year 2011” environmental protection. Environ- answer to this somewhat philosophical question is, of must be resource-efficient, low-emission operations. plant, will be used to meet the ener- award from the German trade maga- mental management systems have course: nowhere. The principle behind the perfect ve- But existing factories too offer huge opportunities for gy and heating needs not only of zine “Produktion”1 and management been in operation at Volkswagen hicle production system is exactly the same. Produc- reducing emissions. They must simply be converted Volkswagen factories, but of nearby consultants A.T. Kearney. plants for many years. These systems tion is organised as a and resource step by step to operate at similar levels of efficiency to residential areas as well. Use of solar are audited in line with the ISO 14001 loop. Every drop of water is recycled over and over a new factory. Of course, emissions reductions on this panels can likewise bring big energy Environmentally compatible standard. Virtually all Volkswagen again, almost endlessly. The energy used to power the scale can only be achieved by adopting a holistic ap- savings. For example the 318,000 production technologies Group sites are certified to this stan- production lines comes exclusively from renewable proach. square-metre system at dard. sources. And it is generated entirely on-site. the SEAT plant in Martorell will redu- Environmentally compatible produc- The Volkswagen Group has set a target of reducing ce CO2 emissions by around 6,200 tion technologies used at Volkswa- Since 1995, some of the European What might the low-carbon factory look like? Most carbon emissions from its factories around the world metric tons a year. gen include hot-forming. The techni- Volkswagen plants have also been ta- likely the site would be planted with trees and bushes by 25% by 2018. cal objective here is to produce body king part in the European Union‘s that would be used to produce or as a heating In this we are aiming to take a lead and inspire others Pioneering plants components offering the same or Eco-Management and Audit Scheme feedstock. The rooftops would be studded with solar to follow our example. Because it is only by working even higher strength than conventio- (EMAS). In many respects the require- panels and the skyline with wind turbines. Because hand in hand with our partners in the supply chain Thanks to state-of-the-art production nally formed steel components while ments for EMAS certification go even the model factory would not only consume energy but that we can hope to make even bigger reductions in processes and excellent site plan- at the same time using less material. further than those for ISO 14001. produce it as well. the overall carbon footprint of our vehicles. 1 For more information, see www.produktion.de

10 11 It takes considerably more energy and resources to manufacture a battery system than to Vehicle manufacturing build a plastic fuel tank. However, we are working to improve this situation – assisted by 74 g CO2/km joint ventures and research alliances with battery manufacturers.

Battery production Basic vehicle and electric 33 g CO2/km components 41 g CO2/km

Battery cells Peripherals A whole new electric ball game. 27 g CO2/km 6 g CO2/km

Green production of -related systems account for a large proportion of overall vehicle CO2 emissions at the manufacturing stage. So we need to focus on the battery cells and the raw materials and processes that go into producing them. The associated emissions are largely due to the components. use of materials such as cobalt and , where the extraction process is highly energy- and CO2-intensive.

The Volkswagen Beetle is the ultimate symbol of perso- (recycled) raw materials in order to conserve resour- nal mobility. But we need only compare the manufactu- ces. Because at the current state of the art, battery pro- Battery research alliances rials, new processes and new pro- Employee training ring technology used to build Volkswagen Beetles in the duction and the associated upstream processes ac- ducts, every detail of which will be 1950s with the technology used to build the Golf thirty count for around half of all CO2 emissions generated Volkswagen Group Research is colla- focused on resource-efficient design What must employees be aware of years later to realise that automotive manufacturing is in the manufacture of an electric vehicle. borating with Münster University to and vehicle manufacturing. when working with high-voltage constantly reinventing itself. Now, a further thirty years develop new types of battery cell for electrical systems on the e-vehicle on, we are heading for another massive transformation. Of course, technical progress never stands still. In fu- electric vehicles. Battery production in production line? To equip them for ture, new battery cell technologies with a higher The Volkswagen-Varta battery re- Braunschweig their new tasks, Volkswagen emplo- Electric cars have a battery instead of a fuel tank, power energy density will reduce material consumption per search joint venture was set up to yees are receiving comprehensive, electronics instead of a gearbox and magnet-powered battery – and at the same time improve the carbon foot- gain more manufacturing experience Since 2007, the Braunschweig plant ongoing skill training. motors instead of pistons and crankshafts – and all print of battery systems. in this area. The aim is to develop ex- has been the Volkswagen Centre of these components require energy-intensive develop- However, manufacturing processes can only be im- tensive in-house expertise in the Competence for the development New qualifications are already being ment, production and assembly. proved on the basis of experience. Although electric field of battery technology, leading in and manufacture of electric vehicle added to the existing range of occu- The extraction of rare earth elements like neodymium, mobility is widely considered a “revolutionary” techno- the long run to optimised electric ve- battery systems. Among other pational profiles at Volkswagen. for example, is a highly energy-intensive process. That logy, manufacturers and suppliers are wisely adopting hicles and processes – not least in things, since 2010 it has also been Far from being just “passengers” on is why it is so important to step up the use of secondary an evolutionary approach. terms of their environmental foot- home to the pre-production centre our journey into a low-emission fu- print. for the electric Golf. ture, our employees are also being encouraged to put themselves in the Electric drivetrain production in E-Mobility Campus driving seat as change drivers. Kassel The E-Mobility Campus symbolises the A new “fuel tank” for a new At its Kassel plant, Volkswagen is set- Volkswagen ’s transition into the type of energy – the complexity ting up a new production facility for age of electric mobility. Based at the of a lithium-ion battery pack is electric drivetrains. This facility will Wolfsburg site, it will act as a training evident at a glance. act as an international role model for and development hub for Volkswagen more environmentally compatible employees and bring together all the and employee-friendly production. It company’s expertise in the field of elec- will also serve as a hub for new mate- tric mobility.

12 13 In this networked and globalised world, we all share a Volkswagen supports environmental, educational and health-related pro- collective responsibility for the conduct of our partners. jects all over the world. Further examples can be found in our Only by working together can we achieve our goal of Sustainability Report, at www.volkswagenag.com sustainable personal mobility. > Sustainability and Responsibility.

Puebla, Mexico Ingolstadt and Györ, Ultenhage, South Africa Shanghai, China Mladá Boleslav, Seeing the bigger picture. 300,000 mountain pines Hungary More than €8 million is being The Volkswagen Group China Czech Republic have been planted to encou- 70,000 oaks have been plan- spent on a three-year pro- is supporting local schools by Over the past six years, Skoda rage groundwater replenish- ted at these and other sites. gramme to help street chil- donating around €800,000 employees have planted Responsibility doesn‘t stop ment and prevent soil erosion In collaboration with Munich dren. The children are given a towards events, books and more than 305,000 trees, one on the slopes of the surroun- University of Technology, place to live, food to eat and a competitions on the subject for every vehicle sold in the ding volcanoes. Audi is studying their impact good education. of sustainability. The aim is to Czech Republic. at the factory gate. on forest eco-systems and encourage children to take an how they are adapting to cli- interest in environmental It‘s one thing to commit to sustainability in principle. mate change. protection. And another to make it a daily way of life. Volkswagen has chosen the second route. And we are encouraging our suppliers and partners to do the same.

There is a well-known saying that when a butterfly flaps its wings The first step, for all suppliers, is to complete a digital questionnaire. Environmental standards for suppliers Raw Materials Analysis on one side of the world, it can cause a hurricane on the other. To Expert teams at the individual Group and in the different re- be sure, the reality may not be quite that dramatic, but we do in- gions evaluate the suppliers’ responses. The focus is on supplier de- Our suppliers undertake to comply with VW standard 01155, VW Growth in e-mobility will lead to increased demand for a variety of deed live in a connected world. It is not enough to take a local velopment through dialogue. Because efforts to achieve sustainabili- standard 99000 and the Standard Components Specifications. raw materials used in vehicles, which could potentially create mar- view or a regional approach when operating in a networked and ty can only be successful based on close cooperation to which all They must also respect the following additional requirements: ket shortages. „Raw Materials Analysis“ is a tool used by Volkswa- globalised community, with suppliers across the globe. partners are firmly committed. Joint targets will help us in this quest, • Creation and application of environmental management gen to assess the risks to its raw materials supplies. This early war- along with shared practices and procedures. sytems; ning system helps to select the most appropriate technologies and Volkswagen has been implementing its “Sustainability in Sup- To further improve the environmental performance of our vehicles • Active dealing with ecological challenges; safeguard long-term supplies. In order to obtain an early indication plier Relations” policy ever since 2006. This policy is based on we have therefore made it mandatory, for example in VW standards • Avoidance of damage to health and the environment; of corruption risks that could affect resource supplies, Volkswagen four key elements: 91100/04, for our supply chain partners to provide us with Life Cycle • Environmentally friendly waste disposal and recycling; takes part in regular discussions and exchanges with the Extrac- • Sustainability requirements for suppliers, which all suppliers Assessment data about supplied components and assemblies. Over • Employee training in environmental protection. tive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). must read before submitting quotes; and above this, we are also involved in a range of sustainability pro- • An early warning system for minimising risk; jects across the world. In this way, the global activities of the • A transparent procurement process; Volkswagen Group and the regional projects at the different sites are Volkswagen Internal Environmental Award Volkswagen and NABU • A supplier monitoring and development process. all integrated into a single, unified framework. The purpose of the Internal Environmental Award of the Over the course of more than ten years, Volkswagen and Volkswagen brand is to motivate sustainable behaviour in the Germany’s largest environmental organisation, NABU (Society for workplace. The award-winning solutions show that environmental Nature Conservation), have forged a unique form of cooperation. protection has become a way of life for our employees and that The aim of this relationship, in which mutual respect for the diffe- their commitment goes way beyond the normal course of duty. The rent interests and standpoints of our two organisations has been Environmental protection and corporate social responsibility have a long tradition in the Volkswagen Group and are central to the Award commends and pays tribute to the dedication and personal key to achieving a successful working partnership, is to raise public company‘s long-term policy. Volkswagen requires its partners all over the world to deliver impeccable quality while also respecting initiative of employees on matters relating to environmental pro- awareness of environmental and sustainability issues. minimum environmental and social standards. tection, both at our German sites and at Group sites within Europe. For more information, see www.vwgroupsupply.com > Cooperation > Sustainability.

14 15 »But won’t old electric cars create a new waste problem?« Raw materials are precious gifts – too valuable to waste.

16 17 g CO2/km And they all lived happily ever after.

Recycling provides raw materials Vehicle1 recycling requires energy too, and this is faithfully recor- for new e-mobility. ded in the Life Cycle Assessment.

Extracting raw materials requires a lot of energy. Smart end-of-life vehicle recycling solu- Subject to appropriate recycling, end-of-life electric tions enable these valuable raw materials to be recovered. This helps to conserve resources vehicles can serve as a treasure trove of raw mate- g CO2/km and reduce the carbon footprint of our products. rials. The main focus here is on systematic recycling -1of valuable metals. In the Life Cycleo Assessment, re- cycling is offset against total life cycle emissions in the form of a recycling credit. Recycling of the lithi- um-ion battery brings an overall recycling credit of 10 g CO2/km.

Vehicle recycling with the Volkswagen SiCon system LithoRec – recycling lithium-ion batteries

This is the point where the life cycle comes full circle. relatively high carbon and energy footprint immedia- Electric vehicles are too valuable to be simply scrapped at the end Growth in electric mobility will result in increasing numbers of In other words, this is where a car ends one life and tely after extraction, that footprint is reduced over the of their useful life. Not only the battery but the rest of the vehicle end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. Fortunately, high recycling rates begins another. Today, when a vehicle comes to the course of time when the cobalt is recovered by high- as well is a source of raw materials which must be put to good use. are already achievable for the lithium, cobalt and other metals end of its useful life, virtually none of it needs to be quality recycling processes, minimising the need for Consequently, recycling techniques are a focus of ongoing develop- contained in these batteries. consigned to the scrap heap. extraction of new material. ment work at Volkswagen. One such technique is the Volkswagen SiCon process, which is used The feasibility of such recycling has been demonstrated by the Li- Ever-increasing market demand means that end-of- In this way, vehicle and component recycling provides to recover raw materials from end-of-life vehicle shredder residues. thoRec project, in which Volkswagen is a partner. Tests have shown life vehicles are becoming an important source of raw a source of “secondary” raw materials. These replace With the aid of this multi-award-winning process, a 95% recovery that around 90% of the battery‘s raw materials can be recovered materials. Electric vehicles in particular contain some primary raw materials, reducing the need for their rate can be achieved for end-of-life vehicles. Once the battery has with the LithoRec processes – thereby helping to reduce depen- of the most valuable raw materials of our times, such costly extraction and transportation. In the Life Cycle been removed, the process is suitable for recycling e-cars too. dence on imports of raw materials and ensure security of supply. as cobalt, rare earth elements and other valuable me- Assessment, this recycling earns a credit whereby the tals. Recovering these materials at the end of the vehi- reduction in future raw materials extraction is offset cle life cycle makes good ecological and economic sen- against the vehicle‘s environmental footprint. So eve- se, because materials such as cobalt can be reused ry gram of an end-of-life vehicle that does not have to time and again. And while a kilogram of cobalt has a be landfilled improves its Life Cycle Assessment.

Waste not, want not: with the right recycling tech- niques, electric cars make a good source of raw materials.

18 19 Strategic planning and implementation. Taking a longer view.

20 21 “In future, we will develop each model in such a way that, in its entire- Under the magnifying glass: tracking the ty, it presents better environmental properties than its predecessor.“ different components back to source shows how everything is interrelated. More information can be found under Volkswagen Group Environ- Which resources are used in which mate- mental Principles Products, at www.volkswagenag.com > Info Center. rials? Which materials are used in which components? And what do the energy footprints of each component look like? The full story. Aluminium Lithium Cobalt Focusing on every stage of the life cycle. Nickel Copper

Battery We work to improve the environmental performance of our models across their entire life cycle. This guideline reflects Volkswagen‘s self-imposed commitment to environmental protection. We have spelt out this commit- ment in our Group Environmental Principles Products – a commitment to the continuous improvement of our vehicles at every stage of their life cycle, with particular reference to climate protection, resource conservation and healthcare. Manufacturing Use phase Recycling

Reducing emissions – the Volkswagen e-Mission Use phase Following the clues

Even when it comes to something as simple as buying fruit in our Energy pathways and driving emissions Detective work is all about reconstructing events on the basis of weigh, and how much energy has gone into making them? In the local supermarket, we question its origin, name and weight. But When calculating the CO2 emissions of its vehicles in the use the evidence left behind. And in the same way that human beings LCA, the flow of materials is analysed on the basis of own figures what about when it comes to building cars? Here too every com- phase, Volkswagen assumes an average lifetime mileage of leave behind traces of DNA, so the consumption of raw materials from Volkswagen, figures provided by suppliers and standardised ponent comes from somewhere, and it comes complete with its 150,000 kilometres. A well-to-wheel analysis, which looks at the always leaves a trail too, in the form of energy consumption and average figures supplied by industry or research institutes. own life story. The more materials go into making a car, the big- entire energy chain, allows carbon footprints to be calculated for the resulting emissions. ger the traces they leave behind. Only by continuously reasses- a wide range of different fuels, or in the case of electric vehicles The purpose of the Life Cycle Assessment is to follow up this trail. The above graphic for a simplified battery system highlights the sing its products from every angle can a carmaker continuously for a variety of electricity pathways. For combustion-engined ve- The Life Cycle Assessment identifies everything that went into the complexity of such an analysis. The comparison with detective improve their environmental performance. The instrument used hicles, the use phase accounts for the largest single fraction of manufacture of the vehicle. This comprehensive analysis looks work is a good one. By retracing the input materials all the way for this purpose – the Life Cycle Assessment or LCA – is therefore the vehicle’s total life cycle CO2 emissions. particularly at the environmental footprint of components, raw back to source, all the components and materials used can be based on the following three pillars. materials and raw material extraction processes. The detective identified. Recycling work covers virtually the entire spectrum of materials used, from The next step is to identify the main sources of emissions. Which Vehicle manufacturing start to finish, which is why it is sometimes referred to as a components take most energy to manufacture, where can im- Disposal, recycling and recovery of materials cradle-to-grave analysis. provements be made and what materials can be replaced with Raw materials extraction and vehicle production The recycling stage is the point where one vehicle life ends and more environmentally compatible alternatives? The more efficiently raw materials are used, the smaller the volume another begins. Recycling allows valuable resources to be reused, The Life Cycle Assessment begins by taking a critical look at the This approach has already helped to facilitate increased use of of material that needs to be extracted. Manufacturing a vehicle invol- thereby reducing the overall energy consumption of the product. individual components of the vehicle. What components are environmentally compatible materials and production methods ves installing a large number of different components, and the ma- used, and what materials do they consist of? How much do they within the Volkswagen Group. nufacturing pathways for all these components must be taken into account when calculating the carbon footprint of the finished pro- duct. The raw materials extraction and processing stage and the use phase are the most energy-intensive parts of the vehicle life cycle.

Environmental Commendations Think Blue. Audi balanced mobility

In its Environmental Commendations, the Volkswagen brand documents advances in the environmental perfor- Automakers have responsibilities – towards their customers and In its ambitious “Audi balanced mobility” initi- mance of its vehicles and technologies from one model generation to the next, or compared to reference models. towards the environment. “Think Blue.” is more than just food for ative, Audi is exploring ways of achieving car- This allows customers, shareholders and other stakeholders both inside and outside the company to see what steps thought; it’s a state of mind. It’s a global call to action – sustaina- bon-neutral premium mobility. The Audi brand we are taking to improve the environmental quality of our vehicles, components and processes, and what we have ble ecological action. Electric mobility at the Volkswagen brand is also publishes Life Cycle Assessments for indi- achieved in this respect. inspired by “Think Blue.”. vidual vehicles.

22 23 The many different powertrain concepts being developed by Volkswagen are all geared to Carbon-neutral electricity one and the same goal: zero emissions. Our aim is to reduce the carbon emissions of our new-car fleet by 30 percent by 2015. And every new model generation will on average be 10 to 15 percent more efficient than its predecessor. Battery power Carbon-neutral Conventional electricity Plug-in hybrid and sustainable Conventional fuels mobility

Many roads lead to Rome. Hybrid drive

Internal combustion The Powertrain and Fuel Strategy. Carbon-neutral fuels (liquid, gaseous) engine

By offering not just one but a number of different vehicle concepts, it is possible to cater Group electric mobility strategy for different drivers and different requirements. Electric cars are no exception to this rule – and the electric vehicles of the future will continue to offer a wide range of individual This is an umbrella for all the strategically relevant activities relating to e-mobility in the various parts of the Group. choice. Since e-mobility solutions are initially aimed at meeting the needs of urban users, The Group will soon put electric vehicles into production and aims to be the market leader in the field by 2018. An important aim of the Volkswagen Group is to ensure that electric mobility is carbon-neutral by using renewable the product range will reflect the diversity of today’s urban society. energy sources. This underlines our commitment and sense of responsibility in respect of sustainability.

Vehicle development targets

A roadmap for the future must be based on targets. The Volkswagen “Group Environmental Principles Products” pro- vide us with a clear sense of direction. These principles are a statement of our commitment to sustainable vehicle design. For a new form of mobility. For carbon-neutral mobility. Different horses for different courses, as the saying alternative powertrain solutions. In Germany, plans goes. Just like conventional cars, electric vehicles will are in place at national level to ensure a successful Electric vehicle fleet trials be able to meet many mobility requirements – but not market introduction of electric vehicles. The govern- all. This is no reason to be disappointed. ment has announced a target of getting one million In the course of 2011 and 2012, the Volkswagen Group carried out numerous fleet trials, in Europe and around the After all, there are limits to the abilities of combusti- electric cars up and running on German roads by world, in which electric vehicles from Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles under- on-engined models as well. 2020. Since electric mobility will be phased in only went intensive testing. gradually, however, for many years a variety of drive Electric cars offer a driving range that is sufficient to systems will continue to coexist side by side. Fuel cell vehicles cover most day-to-day trips. For long distances a plug- in hybrid is the appropriate solution. These run on All Volkswagen powertrain concepts pursue the same Volkswagen is supplying a number of fuel cell vehicles to support the Clean Energy Partnership Berlin and their around town but on longer jour- target: to conserve fuel and energy, and in this way to Fuel Cell Partnership demonstration programmes. The aim is to demonstrate the everyday practicality of this tech- neys the motor is supplemented by an efficient com- reduce CO2 emissions and resource consumption. nology, using prototypes, and to gain important feedback for ongoing development work. bustion engine. Use of SunFuel which do not compete with A further possible alternative for long-distance mobi- food production, and partial electrification of vehicle lity would be fuel cell vehicles running on renewably powertrains are among the ways in which vehicle CO2 e-gas generated . emissions can be significantly reduced. Volkswagen is pursuing many different approaches to powertrain Surplus wind power is used to generate electricity for electrolysis of hydrogen, which can then be used to power fuel An important requirement in the field of personal mo- electrification. The aim is to offer the most appropri- cell vehicles. Alternatively this process can be taken a stage further and the hydrogen converted into „e-gas“, a syn- bility, particularly for urban users, is flexibility. At the ate vehicle concept for every individual mobility re- thetic methane gas. This gas is chemically identical to natural gas and can either be used directly to power internal same time, growing environmental awareness is pa- quirement. combustion engines or can be stored in the public gas grid and then converted back into electrical energy. ving the way for swift and widespread acceptance of

24 25 The right solution for every requirement.

- On the starting grid.

Electric cars are already a reality in the Volkswagen hicle use phase, but also at the manufacturing stage. Group. In 2012 a limited-production all-electric model In our efforts to build cars as resource-efficiently as will hit the road, followed in 2013 by volume-produc- possible, we analyse our resource pathways in depth. tion models. 2014 will see the Volkswagen Group We are also researching advanced recycling solutions launch plug-in hybrids, too, followed by a steady ex- for electric components. And we are working closely pansion of the e-vehicle product range in subsequent with our suppliers to make electric mobility as envi- years. ronmentally friendly as These vehicles will allow The e-Mission: possible at every stage in us to achieve significant the production chain. long-term reductions in electric mobility with zero emissions We are training our em- our fleet CO2 emissions. over the full life cycle. ployees for new tasks And that‘s not all. We are and are engaging and in- also pursuing an even volving them in this more ambitious objective. Our mission – the e-Missi- journey into the automotive technology of tomorrow. on – is to build electric cars that achieve zero emissi- And we are developing integrated mobility solutions ons across the entire vehicle life cycle. in which cars and other modes of will work Volkswagen is on the way to fulfilling this mission and together in the quest for emission-free mobility. has already set the stage for the future. We are com- In other words, we are doing everything we can to mitted to renewable energy as this will enable us to ra- make the electric car a true zero-emission vehicle. We dically reduce CO2 emissions, not only during the ve- are already on our way. The e-Mission has begun.

26 27 © Volkswagen Group Group Research Environmental Affairs Product in cooperation with Group Electric Traction P.O. Box 011/1774 38436 Wolfsburg Germany www.volkswagenag.com/sustainability

Art. No. 27412450118

07/2012

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on which this brochure is based was independently validated by an expert panel comprising representatives of TÜV Nord CERT GmbH, Braunschweig University of Technolo- gy and PE International AG. The methods and data used in completing this Life Cycle Assessment conform to the requirements of standards DIN EN ISO 14040:2006 and DIN EN ISO 14044:2006. The facts and figures, LCA results and conclusions are valid and comprehensible.