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<B>POWER OF 10:</B> VW's Martin Winterkorn said the Group is working on some new technologies in the form of a 10-speed DSG gearbox and a powerful diesel engine. The Golf will also get a plug-in hybrid model in teh future. <i>Image: Newspress</i>
VIENNA, Austria – Volkswagen has revealed a glimpse of the future at the 34th International Vienna Motor Symposium with word of a powerful diesel engine and a 10-speed gearbox.
VW AG management board chairman Martin Winterkorn gave a forecast of future drive system technologies at the 2013 symposium on April 26.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The automaker said a high-performance diesel engine was in the works and it would deliver 100kW/litre of displacement and a new 10-speed dual-clutch gearbox to reduce fuel consumption.
Land Rover revealed its nine-speed ZF 9HP gearbox at the 2013 Geneva auto show in March but VW will be the first automaker to bring out a 10-speed gearbox.
The company said plug-in hybrids offered great potential despite alternative drive systems. Winterkorn said these various systems such as the highly efficient internal combustion engines and natural gas systems all the way to hybrids and electric vehicles would exist side-by-side for quite some time before older systems will be irrelevant.
On this basis the VW Group was working towards its declared objective of lowering the European CO2 emission levels to 95g/CO2/km by 2020.
Winterkorn said existing internal combustion engines still offered a lot of potential: "Since the 2000 we’ve reduced the fuel consumption of our TDI and TSI engines by more than 30%. I’m convinced that by 2020 we can achieve further increases in efficiency of around 15%."
"Factors making this possible would include enhancement of the combustion process, intelligent lightweight design, innovative operating strategies and optimisation of friction levels and thermal management," he said.
Volkswagen also saw great potential for natural-gas drive systems.
MOST ECO GAS CAR
"The gas engine is environmentally friendly, economical and suitable for everyday use. The technology is fully developed and the vehicles are already on the market. The best example is the new Eco-Up! - with only 79g of CO2/km, it's the world’s most economical natural gas car," said Winterkom.
The VW Group will be systematically rolling out natural-gas technology with the Golf TGI BlueMotion and the Audi A3 G-Tron.
“We need to make the public even more aware of the benefits of natural gas engines. Everyone needs to play their part in this: carmakers, politicians and the fuel industry," he said.
According to VW, the variety of drive system technologies was growing. The group-wide VW modular component system and its flexible architecture enable every kind of drive system to be put quickly into new models.
“Over the coming years we will electrify all vehicle classes in this way and help electrical-powered motoring to make the breakthrough."
FURTHER PLANS
In the medium term, the first choice of alternative drives was plug-in hybrid technology. This enabled a purely battery range of up to 50km. The group’s first plug-in hybrids, the Porsche Panamera and Audi A3 E-Tron, would be the first to go into full production. Next would be the Golf and many other models, such as the Passat, Audi A6 and Porsche Cayenne - perhaps 60 new models in total.
Winterkorn also said the high-performance diesel engines in development would make 100kW/litre of displacement and have a variable valve-train assembly, a high-pressure injection system (as much as 3000 bar) and combined charging.
VW AG management board chairman Martin Winterkorn gave a forecast of future drive system technologies at the 2013 symposium on April 26.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The automaker said a high-performance diesel engine was in the works and it would deliver 100kW/litre of displacement and a new 10-speed dual-clutch gearbox to reduce fuel consumption.
Land Rover revealed its nine-speed ZF 9HP gearbox at the 2013 Geneva auto show in March but VW will be the first automaker to bring out a 10-speed gearbox.
The company said plug-in hybrids offered great potential despite alternative drive systems. Winterkorn said these various systems such as the highly efficient internal combustion engines and natural gas systems all the way to hybrids and electric vehicles would exist side-by-side for quite some time before older systems will be irrelevant.
On this basis the VW Group was working towards its declared objective of lowering the European CO2 emission levels to 95g/CO2/km by 2020.
Winterkorn said existing internal combustion engines still offered a lot of potential: "Since the 2000 we’ve reduced the fuel consumption of our TDI and TSI engines by more than 30%. I’m convinced that by 2020 we can achieve further increases in efficiency of around 15%."
"Factors making this possible would include enhancement of the combustion process, intelligent lightweight design, innovative operating strategies and optimisation of friction levels and thermal management," he said.
Volkswagen also saw great potential for natural-gas drive systems.
MOST ECO GAS CAR
"The gas engine is environmentally friendly, economical and suitable for everyday use. The technology is fully developed and the vehicles are already on the market. The best example is the new Eco-Up! - with only 79g of CO2/km, it's the world’s most economical natural gas car," said Winterkom.
The VW Group will be systematically rolling out natural-gas technology with the Golf TGI BlueMotion and the Audi A3 G-Tron.
“We need to make the public even more aware of the benefits of natural gas engines. Everyone needs to play their part in this: carmakers, politicians and the fuel industry," he said.
According to VW, the variety of drive system technologies was growing. The group-wide VW modular component system and its flexible architecture enable every kind of drive system to be put quickly into new models.
“Over the coming years we will electrify all vehicle classes in this way and help electrical-powered motoring to make the breakthrough."
FURTHER PLANS
In the medium term, the first choice of alternative drives was plug-in hybrid technology. This enabled a purely battery range of up to 50km. The group’s first plug-in hybrids, the Porsche Panamera and Audi A3 E-Tron, would be the first to go into full production. Next would be the Golf and many other models, such as the Passat, Audi A6 and Porsche Cayenne - perhaps 60 new models in total.
Winterkorn also said the high-performance diesel engines in development would make 100kW/litre of displacement and have a variable valve-train assembly, a high-pressure injection system (as much as 3000 bar) and combined charging.
