It looks like Volkswagen is joining the race to
build PHEVs. At the Tokyo auto show, the company
introduced an Audi concept PHEV (report below),
and media reported rumors of a Volkswagen
introduction at an upcoming auto show Los Angeles
(this week) or Detroit (mid-January).

And today we have VW's chief of research directly
coming out and saying the company's concluded
hydrogen fuel-cell cars are a non-starter. The
context includes news from two Canadian fuel cell
companies: Ballard selling its automotive fuel
cell business back to Ford and Chrysler and
Hydrogenics shutting down much of its fuel cell
operations. And at a time when the Air Resources
Board is considering moving toward a more equal
playing field between hydrogen and
electrification (see
http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/874.html ),
here's a carmaker saying the only reason its
working on fuel cell cars is because of what it
implies are legacy regulatory requirements.
Hopefully California can do the carmakers a favor
and excuse them from that exercise!


Audi Introduces Metroproject Quattro Sub-Compact
Plug-In Hybrid Concept at Tokyo Show
24 October 2007
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/10/audi-introduces.html

Audi is unveiling the metroproject quattro, an
original Audi design study for the sub-compact
segment, at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The concept features a plug-in hybrid drive. A
1.4-liter TFSI engine developing 110 kW (148hp)
powers the front wheels by means of the S-tronic
Direct Shift Gearbox. A 30 kW (40 hp) electric
motor positioned on the rear axle is able to
deliver up to an additional 200 Nm of torque when
the vehicle is accelerating. The differential
compensates for any slip on one side.

The 1.4-liter TFSI and turbocharger is an
advanced version of the unit that made its series
production debut in the Audi A3 a few months ago.
Whereas the 1.4 TFSI musters 92 kW (123 hp) in
the A3, it delivers 110 kW (148 hp) at 5,500 rpm
in the study. Its peak torque of 240 Nm is on tap
over a broad rev band from 1,600 ­ 4,000 rpm.

Multi-hole injectors result in very homogeneous
mixture formation and extremely efficient
combustion. This is also an effective means of
helping to cut pollutant emissions. The
integrated turbocharger promises optimized
responsiveness and torque build-up. Eighty
percent of peak torque can be summoned up from as
low down as 1,250 rpm—barely above idle.

The electric motor can power the vehicle alone
for zero-emission driving. A lithium-ion battery
pack supports a range of up to 100 km (62 miles)
in pure electric mode; the battery pack can be
recharged from any power socket. The combustion
engine only cuts in again once battery state of
charge has dropped to below 20%. In electric
mode, the car has a top speed of more than 100 km/h (62 mph).

When the two drive units are working in unison,
however, the Audi metroproject is transformed
into a genuine quattro with combined torque of
440 Nm in total (240 Nm from the 1.4 TFSI plus an
extra 200 Nm from the electric motor).

The automatic start/stop facility, energy
regeneration and phases of purely electrical
operation reduce the fuel consumption and
emissions of the Audi metroproject quattro by
around 15% compared to when it is running
exclusively on the combustion engine. Despite its
performance (0-100 km/h in 7.8 seconds, top speed
of 201 km/h), the study consumes 4.9 liters/100km
(48 mpg US) in mixed mode operation, while CO2 emissions average 112 g/km.

The Audi metroproject quattro is equipped with
the same Audi drive select system that can be
ordered as an option for the current generation
of the Audi A4. This enables the driver to
pre-select one of two specially adapted
configurations for the drivetrain, shift
characteristics and magnetic ride shock absorbers.

The default setting is the “efficiency” mode,
which is automatically activated every time the
engine is started. In this mode, the engine and
transmission respond gently to use of the
accelerator and shift paddles. This setting is
intended for a relaxed driving style, as well as
lowering fuel consumption and emissions.

The “dynamic” mode is designed to produce a
dynamic driving sensation. In this mode, the
vehicle’s electronics also harness the torque
available from the electric motor to achieve
extra-sporty acceleration along with excellent lateral dynamics.

"Fuel cell cars won't save the world"
Autocar (UK) Tuesday, November 06, 2007
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/Volkswagen-Concepts/229005/

One of the most senior forward-thinkers at
Europe's bigger car-maker has told Autocar that
he thinks hydrogen-powered cars won't turn out to
the global emissions panacea that the wider motor
industry is cracking them up to be.

Volkswagen's head of research Dr Jurgen Leohold
told Autocar that he thinks fuel cell cars like
VW's own HyMotion Touran research car (pictured)
are not the future of alternative power, and are
only really being developed as a sop to
ever-tightening emissions laws in places such as California.

Describing them as a “marketing exercise,” he
said their inherent problem lies with producing
the hydrogen fuel to power them, and in
establishing an infrastructure of hydrogen
filling stations. "Because hydrogen has to be
produced using existing power, CO2 emissions are still an issue," he said.

Instead, Dr Leohold reckons the immediate future
of alternative power for cars lies with biofuels
and beyond that with battery power, and we’ll see
huge improvements in battery technology in the
next five years. “You can see it already in
mobile phone and computer batteries,” he said.

General Motors has already announced it will put
the battery-driven Chevrolet Volt into production
by 2010, a decision dependent on a big steps forward in battery technology.

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Felix Kramer fkramer@...
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.org
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
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