VW presents electric mobility research

Volkswagen, in cooperation with six project partners and the German Ministry of the Environment, is presenting the current status of the ‘Fleet study in electric mobility’ that was initiated in July 2008. The primary goal of the project, which runs until June 2012, is to consistently utilise renewable energy sources for electrically powered vehicles. Within the framework of the fleet study, Volkswagen is using a total of 20 of the latest generation Golf Variant TwinDrive cars as research vehicles.
April 23, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

RSS994 Volkswagen, in cooperation with six project partners and the German Ministry of the Environment, is presenting the current status of the ‘Fleet study in electric mobility’ that was initiated in July 2008. The primary goal of the project, which runs until June 2012, is to consistently utilise renewable energy sources for electrically powered vehicles. Within the framework of the fleet study, Volkswagen is using a total of 20 of the latest generation Golf Variant TwinDrive cars as research vehicles.

The plug-in hybrid drives operate with zero emissions in urban operation using an electric motor, enabling distances of up to 57 km on pure electrical power; an additional small internal combustion engine provides for a total range of about 900 km. According to Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen chairman, his company’s TwinDrive system “sets new standards and could, over the mid-term, develop into the ideal form of mobility for the vast majority of car drivers.”

The ‘Fleet study in electric mobility’ is now assuming a high level of importance in the wake of events in Japan and the German federal government’s mandatory exit from nuclear energy production. According to plans by the federal government, the number of pure electric vehicles will reach one million units in Germany alone by 2020. And these vehicles must be operated sustainably – from renewable energy sources – to attain significant progress in environmental protection.

“Electric mobility will be a century-long endeavour for Europe as a centre of automotive production and industry. Carmakers, suppliers, energy providers, scientists and politicians – everyone must step up to the plate,” says Winterkorn. In Germany, the ‘Fleet study in electric mobility’ is bringing together precisely these partners.


The fleet study is being conducted by six project partners from research and commerce under the leadership of Volkswagen. Representing the energy industry is energy provider E.ON. From the research area, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft ISIT (representation of the battery systems and development of new battery chemistry), Heidelberger Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU; creating eco-balance), the 4572 German Aerospace Centre (DLR; analysis, forecasting traffic scenarios) and the Westphalian Wilhelm University in Münster (development of methodologies, laboratory testing of battery cells) are contributing their expertise and know-how to the fleet study.

Related Content

  • Authorities switch on to all electric buses as costs tumble
    January 9, 2018
    Alan Dron looks at changes in bus propulsion as cities look to improve air quality and seek to reduce maintenance costs. Despite the ending of various incentives to adopt alternative fuels, the introduction of electric buses by US transit authorities is picking up speed as performance improves, costs drop and air quality considerations become increasingly significant. More US bus manufacturers are introducing zero-emission models and some recent contracts will see many more passengers getting their first
    Read More
  • Keeping electric vehicle batteries cool
    August 15, 2012
    Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen, Germany, have developed CryoSolplus, an innovative new coolant that conducts heat away from an electric vehicle battery much more effectively than water, keeping the battery temperature within an acceptable range even in extreme driving situations.
    Read More
  • Beijing to trial street lamp EV chargers
    January 12, 2015
    Beijing has launched a pilot project to transform street lamps to serve as charging poles for electric cars. Eighty-eight high-pressure sodium lamps on a road in the city have been converted into energy-saving LED lamps. Eight charging poles have been installed and put into trial operation using the energy saved from the new LED lamps, said the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission. The charging poles work day and night, reducing charging demand for electric taxis and private cars in the
    Read More
  • Tri-nation cooperation on C-ITS Corridor
    June 20, 2016
    In the European C-ITS Corridor project, authorities from three countries are working with the automotive industry on the deployment of Cooperative (V2X) Systems. Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems/Services (C-ITS) has the potential to improve road safety, transport efficiency and environmentally friendly mobility, as well as creating additional services and new business models. A set of international standards have been developed to provide the technical basis for the deployment of Cooperative ITS.
    Read More

Highlighted Content