Just when you think that Volkswagen's engineers had demonstrated all that could be done with the highly versatile MQB platform, they've gone and lifted the cover on a hydrogen-fuelled Golf. Officially called the Golf SportWagen HyMotion, this estate car showcases Volkswagen's fuel cell technology in a vehicle that essentially forms the underpinnings for the eighth generation Golf.
Like the Honda FCV and Audi A7 h-tron, which were also revealed at the LA Auto Show last week, the Golf SportWagen HyMotion combines hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell in order to create a "cold combustion" process that releases energy to powers an electric motor, thus propelling the car - much like an electric vehicle. One of the reasons why hydrogen is creating such a stir is that the only thing emitted from this cold combustion process is water vapour. Crucially, unlike electric vehicles, the hydrogen tanks can be fully refilled in just three minutes and can then enable a claimed driving range of just under 500 kilometres.
Where the MQB platform shines is in how it packages this hydrogen system. Unlike previous concepts and some production cars, like the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell we test drove, the Golf SportWagen HyMotion stores its hydrogen in four carbon fibre tanks in the underbody of the car rather than in one large tank located in the boot. This means that there is no noticeable impact on cabin space or cargo capacity.
The car also features a high-voltage lithium-ion battery that is used to store the kinetic energy harvested from the regenerative braking process, which in turn is used not only to help the starting phase of the fuel cell but also to provide an additional boost in acceleration to give the car increased driving dynamics. Volkswagen claims the Golf SportWagen HyMotion is capable of accelerating to 100km/h from rest in 10.0 seconds.
If, or rather, when Volkswagen launches a production-ready version of the Golf HyMotion, it will see the Golf as potentially being the first car model in the world to offer every type of drive, from petrol and diesel, to plug-in hybrid, full-electric, natural gas and then hydrogen. Just how much a hydrogen-fuelled Golf will cost when it arrives onto the market remains a relative unknown, though Volkswagen sources suggest that one of the key factors will be that the car will come with a price that is "acceptable to new car buyers".
Anything else?
This may all sound rather exciting, but there are a couple of hurdles that cars such as the Golf SportWagen HyMotion must first overcome, the biggest of which is the introduction of an adequate hydrogen fuel station infrastructure. So far, such networks only exist in Japan and California, the latter of which is where Volkswagen is currently testing a fleet of Passat HyMotion vehicles. But in order for hydrogen fuel to become more mainstream it also needs to be produced in larger volumes, as currently there is little requirement for it, hence the lack of infrastructure.