Volkswagen Announces World Premiere of the Up! Lite Concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Stefan Jacoby, President of VW Group of America has confirmed that the two models will be heading to the U.S. shortly. The intriguing fact is that the next-gen VW Beetle will be offered with a clean diesel engine, while the Up Lite will be all-electric only when it releases for the U.S. markets.
The Up! Lite concept continues the Volkswagen strategy of offering high-tech and high-end quality in all of its vehicle classes, making progress affordable for every car driver. The Up! Lite was designed to be a versatile vehicle that makes trips into the city, commutes to work and naturally long trips as well significantly less expensive and more eco-friendly.
Regarding the prospects of the Up Lite concept Ulrich Hackenberg, head of technical development for Volkswagen AG said, “This is a study to find out whether customers have an interest in very low fuel consumption. For American customers, it is very important to present themselves as green.” The Up Lite concept displayed at LA featured a diesel-electric hybrid drive-train and promised 70 mpg. To make its “green” mission fruitful, Volkswagen will have to live up to that promise.
The Volkswagen Up! Light with its extremely efficient engine might be the perfect example to exemplify this. Ultra light (less than 700 kilograms / around 1,500 pounds) it achieves a mileage of 2.44 liters for a 100 km (70 MPG). The Volkswagen concept has a top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) and accelerates to 100 km/h in a respectable 12.5 seconds (0-60 mph in 12 seconds).
The centerpiece of the Up! Lite powertrain is the newly designed 0.8 TDI two-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with a power of 38 kW / 51 PS. Furthermore, the electric motor (10 kW) – designed as a pulse start module (starter, alternator and E-drive) – also reduces the load of the TDI, provides added propulsion (boosting) and works to recover kinetic energy (regenerative braking). During boost phases – e.g. in a quick passing maneuver – the TDI and E-motor combine for a total power of 48 kW / 65 PS. Incidentally, a version of the TDI used in the Up! Lite was also used aboard the L1 concept car that Volkswagen presented in September at the IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt.
In two of its operating phases, the hybrid drive of the Up! Lite was designed to operate without any TDI propulsion at all. First phase: In so-called coast-down, activated by the driver taking his or her foot off the gas pedal (car coasts, TDI engine is shut off). Second phase: Over shorter distances, e.g. in residential areas, the E-motor can power the Up! Lite all by itself. In this case, a lithium-ion battery supplies the energy. Since it is capable of pure electric driving, the configuration is classified as a full hybrid. Shifting work is handled by a 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) like the one used in the new Polo. Moreover, the Volkswagen is equipped with a Stop-Start system.
The Up Lite concept is the harbinger of Volkswagen's new small car platform that should bear fruit in the form of a production Up Lite as early as the second half of 2011.
Volkswagen Diesel Electric Hybrid Up Lite Concept Car