Volkswagen sets out stall for future powertrains
VOLKSWAGEN’S FUTURE powertrain plans include all-wheel-drive 48V mild hybrids and advanced petrol engines, the company has revealed. Bio and synthetic fuels are also on the way and expected to “revolutionise the environmental balance sheet for internal-combustion engines”, according to a company spokesman. Diesels also remain high on the agenda. “Diesel has a long, clean future ahead of it,” said the spokesman.
Electrification will use front-wheel-drive and allwheel-drive 48V mild hybrid technology. The MHEV (mild hybrid electric vehicle) is powered by a 148bhp 1.5 TSI petrol engine equipped with an 8kw belt-integrated startergenerator, giving fast stopstart, boosting engine torque and recouping energy to store in the 48V lithium ion battery.
An MHEV Plus version incorporates an extra 35bhp electric motor driving either the front or rear axle. This feeds extra torque to the driveline and recovers energy through regenerative braking, with the engine shut down to save fuel.
The MHEV systems are expected to improve fuel economy by about 7mpg over a conventional 1.5-litre engine.
A new 128bhp petrol engine based on the 1.5-litre TSI, equipped with a variable geometry turbo, is claimed to deliver class-leading fuel economy. It runs on the Miller cycle (a high-efficiency operating regime) and is poised to go on sale in the UK in the Golf in the near future.
A 158bhp version of the engine is under development and a dual-fuel prototype can run on both CNG and petrol.