After previously clinging to diesel power over battery-assisted propulsion as the go-to green technology, the winds have shifted at the HQs of German automakers like BMW, Audi, even Porsche, and it appears as though that country’s largest-volume marque now is feeling the same vibe. Volkswagen is re-affirming plans to add hybrid variants of the Jetta in 2012, followed by the Golf and Passat a year later. But that’s not 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.
Having just launched the 2011 Touareg hybrid as the brand’s first gas-electric entry, Volkswagen says it now wants to concentrate its electrification efforts on volume sellers, which it thinks should help elevate EVs from niche status to mainstream. VW also says it’s behind the German government’s (somewhat questionable) plan to see one million electric vehicles on German roads by 2020. Using the popular Golf and Jetta as the framework, VW is banking on these electric models to help pad 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. (The production model expected in 2013 likely will be based on the forthcoming Golf VII.) In its current form, 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, VW says the Golf will retain about 8.4 cubic feet of its 15 cubes of cargo space. Like with the Mini E, that’s a significant loss in load volume, jeopardizing the hatchback versatility that we so often praise. Of course, weight also will spike—some 452 pounds are gained compared to the current, Euro-only Golf BlueMotion TDI with DSG—from the extra heft of the batteries, which allow for a claimed cruising range of 93 miles.
The electric Golf will use a system similar to the new Touareg hybrid’s, which allows the motor to disengage from the drivetrain when coasting, allowing for less drag while still capturing energy to feed back into the batteries. The Mini E and many other full-electrics, by contrast, go immediately to regen mode once your foot lifts off of the accelerator pedal, making for an unfamiliar driving experience (and at times a sore ankle).
Next year, Volkswagen plans to release a fleet of 500 electric Golfs for testing. Although VW has yet to officially confirm its timing and offerings for alternative powertrains in the U.S., we’re expecting to see the hybrids here, beginning with the Jetta in mid-2012.
Thanks to: Car and Driver