16 September 2009

Volkswagen plugs in to electric car production

A good chunk of the major automakers are starting to push and manufacture electric cars; now Volkswagen AG is jumping into the fray with their offering.

The German carmaker is going to unveil several new models at this week’s Frankfurt Auto Show, including its electric car called the E-Up.

Volkswagen is not in a big hurry though, as the E-Up will go into production in 2013 and approach production levels of its other popular compact cars by 2020.

The company said the front wheel drive car’s lithium ion battery will have 18 kilowatt hours energy capacity, enabling a driving distance of around 130 kilometers, or about 80 miles, depending on driving style.

“One of the basic milestones on this timeline is the mass produced electric car,” said Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn.

It is one thing to hit the market with electric cars, but it is another to truly have an affect on the environment. Producing the vehicle in high volumes and on all continents would then mean you could speak of the beginning of the electric age in automobiles and a perceptible reduction of their environmental impact, he said.

“The concept car now being presented in Frankfurt very realistically shows how we envision such a Volkswagen with pure electric drive, technically, visually, and with regard to a practical size,” Winterkorn said.

The company will also unveil other models that include more of its Blue Motion technology as well as new hybrid technology.

For related information, go to www.isa.org/productivity.