New All Electric VW Golf Announced

Set to go on sale in 2013 Volkswagen have announced it will be producing an all electric plug in version of the hugely popular Golf. Called the Golf Blue-e-Motion the new EV features a zero emission drive train powered by increasingly popular lithium ion batteries.

The Golf is to make up just one segment of the intended broad spectrum of electric vehicles to be added to Volkwagens range by 2013, including an electric Jetta and Lavida - focused on the chinese market.

Until multiple electric vehicle models hit Volkswagen showrooms in the future, the car giant plans to launch its electric car range with the introduction of the first Blue-e-Motion vehicle, the 'Up'. This is a car described by VW as a “city specialist” and was previewed in concept form at last year’s Frankfurt motor show.

Unveiled by German chancellor, Angela Merkel, the launch model is based on the 6th generation Golf, however, the showroom version of the Blue-e-Motion is planned to form part of the seventh generation Golf range that will begin heading into UK showrooms in the same year.

The 115bhp electric motor sits up front in the space normally occupied by the Golf’s petrol or diesel engines, develops 113bhp and 199lb ft of torque demonstrating once again the torque benefits of electric motors. This all drives the front wheels through a new single gear gearbox developed by Volkswagen called the "MQ210".

The lithium-ion battery pack mounted within the middle tunnel of the floorpan sits under the rear seat and in the floor of the boot, this makes a welcoming change to how Mini have replaced their back seats in place of the battery. The pack is said to allow for a range of 93miles and in an effort to reduce mechanical drag, it uses a separate clutch that automatically decouples its electric motor on a trailing throttle to provide what Volkswagen describes as “sailing effect”.

At 1545kg, the electric Golf weighs in as a chunky little devil at more than 305kg than the existing Golf 1.6 TDI BlueMotion. As a result Volkswagen says it hits 62mph from standstill in 11.8sec and reaches a top speed that, in the interests of retaining battery charge, is limited to 87mph. Not the most performance orientated vehicle to then but nonetheless the purpose of the new electric Golf is to make city driving more eco friendly.

Format Wars - What New Fuel Will We End Up Using?

One of the most recent format wars that comes to mind is BluRay vs HD-DVD. A few years ago the tech blogs, websites and news pages were often awash with information, speculation and reviews of which format was dominating the digital entertainment industry each week. There were of course key players on both teams and if it were not for the withdrawal of Toshiba from the format race we might have been left with the choice of 2 or more formats to run your entertainment on - not that this is a bad thing. Lets face it though, most of us aren't really that fussed about what format the disc is that goes in your player, just as long as it does a good job right?

The future of fuel however is likely to be a very different story. What about our new alternative fuels? Which one will dominate? Which companies are going to get a sturdy foothold in the market share, Which fuel will you likely use and which will come to market first?

To cut this short, hybrid cars are already winning the race, which currently leaves, not the notorious oil conglomerates to mop up the money, but instead we are seeing battery manufacturers, with the likes of LGChem, laughing all the way as they struggle to keep up with the demand for ever improved lithium-ion power packs.

At this years Geneva motor show nearly every manufacturers stand featured eco inspiration in their new models and press releases, from Volkswagens super high MPG blue efficiency Polo to Ferrari's 599 HY-KERS. One particular company however, stood out the most; Porche. Typically being a manufacturer of performance orientated (and therefore uneconomical) cars, Porsche simultaneously unveiled 3 new hybrid vehicles this year, a GT3 leMans racer, the jaw dropping 918 Spyder and their all new Cayenne 4X4.

When the Carrera GT was first unveiled or even the first Cayenne just 4 years ago, the last thing on peoples minds would of been efficiency, economy or environmental responsibility. Merely a few years on and the primary focus of Porche's show as it unveiled it's latest range of super cars was it's hybrid technology and advancements in fuel and energy efficiency, demonstrating, that even companies who's last concern that seems to be only a blink ago, is now part of their flagship car, paving the way for the future and setting the benchmark for other companies to follow suit.

Hybrids, however eco friendly they are perceived today, are probably going to be an interim technology in the long run though. While the governments and super companies of the world are for ever recognising the importance of going green and eco, hybrid technology, while seemingly new, is something they have been able to turn their attention to in the short term to maximise green credentials.

The future of automotive design is looking at 100% electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell alternatives as well as cars that essentially power themselves from energy developed by wheel turbines and are carbon neutral as they clean the air in their immediate environment. As a personal thought, if an infrastructure (petrol stations and refineries being the primary candidates) can be developed to support hydrogen as we have done with petrol and diesel, the future of hydrogen powered cars looks healthy. There are already hydrogen fuel stations in California acting as a development program for the technology as well as serving the few hydrogen drivers currently cruising the sunny highways of LA. As we have the option of petrol and diesel today in the future it will not be unlikely to have the option of classic fuels as well as hydrogen and electric available to us at “fueling” stations.

Electric vehicles are already making a big push in the industry too. With the likes of the Silicon Valley designed Tesla Roadster making a prominent statement that performance does not have to be compromised for efficiency. With a 0-60mph time similar to that of a 911 Turbo it is a clear indicator that there is vast potential in the application of electric motors in the future of transport. Further supporting the electric trend is Volkswagen, while not focusing so much on the performance benefits electric motors bring to the table - such as 100% torque 100% of the time - Volkswagen have recently announced their Milano Taxi model which will be cleaning up the streets by 2013. Of course like all of these alternative fuels, in their infancy they each bring with them their own problems and electric cars biggest problem by far is the charging time and range. Where you might be able to drive 250 miles or so on a full charge in the Tesla, the 'empty' to 'ready' time can be 16 hours! Volkswagens Milano Taxi, albeit a lot better still only gets you an 80% charge in 4 hours - imagine standing next to the pump for that long, these are all substantial stationary charging times which the industry needs to overcome as best as it can before the masses will be able to adopt electric vehicles, even if they really want to.

In the grand scheme of things we are just scraping the surface of AF (Alternative Fuel) vehicles and their accompanying technologies, and while traditional fuel prices and gas guzzlers tax brackets are only continuing to rise, there are engines out there developing some fantastic economy figures running on traditional fuels. That being said, we are witnessing a pivotal point in automotive history that will eventually change the way the world fuels it’s transport in years to come.

New Volkswagen Electric Taxi

Taking it's name and colour theme from taxi's of Milans past, Volkswagens new green and black eco taxi has been unveiled today at the Hannover Messe auto show. Described as "an urban MPV tailored to the needs of taxi drivers" the Milano taxi is powered 100% by electricity. As with most electric vehicles being developed today it draws it's power from lithium-ion batteries that are installed on the underside of the vehicle. An 80% charge takes just over an hour and with 85kW of power developing a top speed of 75mph and a pretty impressive range of 186 miles between charges, Volkswagen has upped it's game in the alternative fuel - eco race - that every other manufacturer is currently competing in. One of the more unique features of the Milano taxi is its swivel-sliding door, which extends into the roof to make for a wider opening. It also uses any vacant front passenger space to carry luggage and a cut back dash to boost interior room. IN the passenger side a screen in the rear displays the current fare and allows passengers to get more information on local points of interest. On the drivers side there is a touchscreen computer, which tidies up the dash and integrates the often bolted on technology such as taxi radio, telephone, sat-nav and trip computer etc. Volkswagen has announced that it will launch its first, zero-emission, production electric vehicles in 2013.