In spite of the promises by Detroit and the lavish spreads in Popular Mechanics, the flying car I was promised in the July 1957 is really no closer to a reality now than it was then. Sure, there are some one off solutions, but honestly, who can afford to drive or fly something with the price of gas today?
In the 8 long years since still President Bush has been in the White House, my automobile desires have turned down a different path. One that makes both good economic sense and good environmental sense. For the most part, those dreams have centered around the ‘Smart Car’ type of vehicle.
Small, urban and with great fuel economy, the only detracting factor has been the long distance potential of these vehicles. In short, there is non long distance potential. If I owned one of these as my only vehicle and wanted to visit my sister in Portland I would have to consider alternative transportation methods. Train, bus or maybe even a rental car. Not the best of choices as far as I’m concerned.
But now, the story is a little different. Volkswagen AG is announced the forthcoming production of a diesel-electric hybrid that promises almost 70 miles to the gallon. That was not a typo – 70 miles to the gallon. Just where do I sign??
Coming Soon from VW: A 69.9 MPG Diesel Hybrid
By Chuck Squatriglia
It’s official – Volkswagen is unveiling a hybrid to challenge the mighty Toyota Prius. And not just any hybrid, but a diesel-electric hybrid it says will deliver 69.9 mpg.
VW’s been experimenting with hybrids of the gasoline-electric variety since the early 1990s, but the Golf hybrid it will unveil next month at the Geneva Motor Show is the first production model the German company’s rolled out. Volkswagen isn’t offering much in the way of details, but the car is expected to have a parallel hybrid drivetrain with a 2.0 liter engine. Look for it to have an all-electric mode at low speed, start-stop capability, regenerative braking and a 7-speed DSG double-clutch transmission, according to Auto Express and AutoBlog Green.
What’s all the techno-jargon mean? The Golf Hybrid will get almost 70 mph mpg (ed. note: D’oh!) while meeting Europe’s stringent Euro V and America’s Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards, making it green enough even for California. The car is said to emit just 89 g/km of CO2. (For comparison, the Prius emits 104 g/km and Honda Civic Hybrid emits 116.)
The hybrid Golf may be just the start.
According to Britain’s Channel 4, VW is considering the hybrid drivetrain in a Jetta and Audi A3. DailyTech says it also could appear in the VW Tiguan and Audi Q5 crossover utility vehicles.
Auto Express says the Golf hybrid will be offered for sale in Europe by the end of next year. No word yet on when we might see it on this side of the pond. VW hasn’t released a picture of the hybrid, so we’re offering a shot of its diesel Golf Bluemotion.
[Thanks, Wired]
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