(continued from above)
Like all electric motors, the one in the Golf also delivers a very high
maximum torque from a stop (200 lb-ft). The electricity for powering the
electric motor is stored in a lithium-ion battery with an energy capacity of
26.5 kilowatt-hours.
Today, using a lithium-ion battery, driving ranges
of up to 100 miles can be realized in the front-wheel drive Golf Blue-e-motion;
the specific range depends on driving style and other factors (such as use of
the air conditioning and heating system). At the car's production launch,
Volkswagen will announce final driving range data of the production version,
which is expected to be significantly improved with the battery technology used
then. In many locales, the needs of commuters are already met by a distance of
100 miles.
Take Germany for example. According to the German Federal
Statistical Office, 6 of every 10 people in the workforce commute by car - on
average 45.8 percent drive less than 6 miles (one-way commute), another 28.1
percent between 6 and 16 miles and 16.2 percent over 16 miles. The Golf
Blue-e-motion can also handle the driving ranges typically covered by many
service providers. In short-distance driving, the zero-emissions Golf represents
a sustainable solution for private users as well.
Impressive
Performance
More noticeably than on today's modern petrol or diesel
engines, the maximum range of an electric car is severely reduced when its
maximum power is demanded frequently. Therefore, the 84 mph fast and very
aerodynamic Golf Blue-e-motion (Cd value: 0.295) provides ample power reserves
to move the car swiftly while consuming less energy, and it can even coast or
"sail" as it is called in the professional jargon. "Sailing" occurs whenever the
driver - adopting an anticipatory style of driving - releases the gas pedal, or
rather the electric pedal. The motor is then controlled to the zero-torque curve
so that the car can coast with the least possible drag. In this mode of driving,
the Golf Blue-e-motion even recovers kinetically generated energy by battery
regeneration. The end result is that the zero-emissions Golf has enough
performance potential to quickly execute maneuvers such as passing. An index of
the car's very good dynamic qualities is its time for the sprint from 0 to 60
mph: 11.4 seconds.
Lithium-ion Battery
The concept car's 30
battery modules - consisting of 180 lithium-ion cells (energy capacity: 26.5
kWh) - were installed in spaces adapted to the vehicle architecture. They can be
found in the floor of the bootspace (fully usable cargo capacity: 275 liters),
under the rear bench seat and in the center tunnel of the underbody (between the
front seats). A separate air cooling system ensures a constant thermal
environment in the battery compartment. The battery modules weigh a total of 695 lbs (315 kilograms).
Volkswagen Golf Blue-e-motion Concept: Review (2/2)
