Volkswagen Working on High-Performance Energy Storage

Agreement has been reached on a co-operation which sees Volkswagen joining forces with Sanyo, one of the world’s leading developers of rechargeable batteries, to work on new and extremely efficient high-performance storage systems based on lithium-ion technology.

“Our focus in future,” says Prof Martin Winterkorn, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, “will be directed more strongly at making electrically powered automobiles alongside ones driven by more efficient combustion engines. Drivetrain electrification is the way forward if we wish to secure mobility in tomorrow’s world. This will involve energy recovery. The whole idea will be to no avail, however, as long as we do not have powerful energy storage systems at our disposal and as long as vehicle operations are not in tune with customer demands. This cooperation is an important step for us,” Winterkorn adds.

Emissions-free travel in an all-electric operating modus is already possible today, though only at limited speeds and over short distances. That makes it all the more important to develop new accumulators with the capacity, size, weight and cost attributes which will enable them to be used more efficiently in tomorrow’s automobiles. Lithium-ion technology, already very successfully used in communications electronics and portable computers, has the potential to satisfy even the particularly exacting demands placed on electro-traction systems in motor vehicles.

Back in March, at the Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen showcased its Golf TDI Hybrid design study, which demonstrated just how much potential for energy reduction there is when you combine high-tech-diesel, electric-drive and 7-speed-DSG technology. Conceived as a powerful full-hybrid vehicle, the Golf TDI Hybrid can be operated using combustion-engine power only or using a combination of combustion and electric drive or using E-drive – i.e. the powerful and energy-efficient combination of TDI technology and an electric motor. The A1 project quattro presented by Audi at the most recent Tokyo Motor Show features a powertrain already designed to cover a distance of 100 km using this innovative storage method. The Group hopes to be able to employ lithium-ion technology in its first vehicles by 2010.

A RACE CAR FOR THE ROAD: SCIROCCO GT24 CONCEPT IS UNVEILED

As a trio of race-prepared, factory-entered Scirocco racers run through final checks before the start of the Nürburgring 24-hour race this weekend, a road-going sister car, the Scirocco GT24 Concept, has been unveiled in front of Volkswagen fans at the annual Wörthersee Festival in Austria.

The Scirocco GT24 is much more than a styling exercise. At its heart is a race-tuned 2.0-litre four-cylinder TSI engine developing 325 PS at 6,500 rpm. This is mated to a six-speed DSG gearbox which channels drive to the front wheels. The gearbox features uprated clutch plates along with revised gear ratios and a lightened flywheel linked to a differential lock.

The vehicle is based on the shell of the Scirocco race car, prepared by Volkswagen Motorsport in Hanover, and is finished in Volkswagen Racing Blue. Although many components are carried over from the road car – a testament to their strength – the Scirocco GT24’s dimensions vary significantly, with a 227 mm gain in length and 61 mm gain in width to accommodate a wider track. Lowered, adjustable race damper units account for a 75 mm drop in ride height on a set of 18-inch lightweight racing wheels housing 362 mm (255 mm at the rear) racing brake discs clamped by six-piston callipers.

With many components removed from the road car the Scirocco GT24 weighs 178 kg less to tip the scales at 1,120 kg.

Inside the Scirocco GT24 the driver and front seat passenger are held securely in a pair of lightweight Recaro bucket seats by a set of five-point racing harnesses mounted within a tough rollcage. A unique steering wheel and electronic display as well as a precautionary fire extinguisher furnish the race-focused interior. Set into a carbon panel are simple toggle switches which control the ABS settings and electrical and ventilation systems.

The road-going Scirocco, on which the GT24 concept is based, goes on sale in the UK on August 29th. It will be powered initially by a 2.0-litre TSI engine developing 200 PS linked to a choice of six-speed manual or DSG gearboxes.