Dead Deal: VW Golf Diesel-Electric Hybrid too Expensive to Make
Volkswagen introduced a turbo-diesel hybrid-electric Golf concept car at the Geneva Motor Show with some very impressive numbers: 70 miles per gallon, 7-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG) with a twin-clutch, some minor modifications to reduce drag, CO2 emissions of 89 g/km (lower than a Toyota Prius hybrid), and Tier 2 Bin 5 tailpipe emissions. And, naturally, the ability to run on biodiesel (waste cooking oil or algae, preferably).
Alas, it was too good to be true. Contrary to what Volkswagen had said in the March 27 issue of Auto, Motor und Sport Volkswagen now says the Golf turbo-diesel hybrid would be too expensive, so they’re not going to make it (or at least, not as specified above). It’s stillborn, in other words.
So What Instead of a Turbo-Diesel Hybrid
A gasoline hybrid, according to the German magzine. Equipped with a 1.4 liter TSI gas engine powered by both a supercharger and a turbocharger. The ‘twincharged’ TSI engine can be downsized and still produce as much power as a bigger displacement engine while using less fuel, so it is a good candidate for coupling with a hybrid drivetrain.
But it still probably won’t reach the fuel economy achieved by the turbo-diesel hybrid Golf concept. According to Green Car Congress, the 1.4 TSI engine in the Golf gets 32.7 MPG, which comparitively speaking, isn’t that great for such a small car. Further downsizing would certainly give better results (the 1.4 liter TSI produces 168-horsepower, so a 1.2 or 1.1 liter model would still have decent power).
Volkswagen’s Fuel Efficiency Strategy
While waiting for the hybrid to come out, VW said that it would rely on more downsizing and use of the anti-idling stop/start technology (which shuts down the engine when the car comes to a stop, reducing wasted fuel) to meet its fuel efficiency targets.
R.I.P. Golf Turbo-Diesel Hybrid. We hardly knew ya.
