What's the news?
Following on from the announcement of electrification of all its models going forward, Volkswagen has outlined two further stages in the expansion of drive systems for its products - a diesel-electric hybrid engine and also one which runs on natural gas. These revelations, like the electrification of the Golf Mk8, came at the Vienna Motor Symposium.
The aim is to meet the 2020 EU fleet emissions target of 95g/km CO2 and Volkswagen wants to do it not just with electric power, but with a variety of drivetrains.
Focusing on reviving diesel's image and fortunes in the wake of the emissions scandal the company got caught up in during 2015, Volkswagen gave a world premiere in Austria to the 'EA288 Evo' 2.0 TDI diesel engine. For the first time within the entire Volkswagen Group, one of its four-cylinder diesel engines will be available with hybrid-electric support. We've seen mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) technology creeping into all of Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen's ranges, but mainly on bigger diesels and petrol engines.
But Volkswagen still says that diesels - specifically these four-pot TDI units - have lower emissions in all driving cycles, meaning they meet current and future emissions stipulations for WLTP/RDE certification. The Germany company further adds that the TDI 'Evo' units will have between 136- and 204hp, and the first brand to use them will be... Audi, in applications where the drivetrain is installed longitudinally. However, MQB-chassis VWs and other Group brands will enjoy the electrified TDI in the near future.
Drilling down into the technology, Volkswagen claims the combustion process of the EA288 Evo family has been redesigned and improved, both in terms of efficiency and also raw emission behaviour. The turbocharger is also more efficient and more responsive too, while exhaust after-treatment components - including the diesel particulate filter (DPF) and SCR components (NOx treatment using selective catalytic reduction) - have been 're-dimensioned' and improved for their effectiveness and longevity. The company also talks about reduced frictional and heat losses, and lower engine weight too, resulting in CO2 emissions being cut by up to 10g/km compared to the current generation of turbodiesels. Power and torque are also said to be increased, by up to 9 per cent.
Anything else?
One other development unveiled in Austria - albeit one we're not entirely sure we'll get in Ireland - is a 1.5 TGI Evo compressed natural gas engine (EA211 Evo). Based on the existing 1.5-litre TSI petrol with Active Cylinder Technology, the 130hp/200Nm TGI has a variable turbine geometry turbo and a TSI/TGI Miller combustion process. In Germany, compressed natural gas (CNG) is the fastest-growing automotive sector and so production of the 1.5 TGI Evo will start this year. Coupled to a dual-clutch DSG gearbox, the CNG motor should deliver up to 3.5 litres/100km (80.7mpg) and have a range of 490km; switching to petrol mode (yes, it can run on petrol too) extends the range by another 190km. All figures stated here are NEDC, though, so take them with a pinch of salt.