Tag Archives: Volkswagen

Volkswagaen’s 2026 Project Trinity to Change EVs Forever?

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In 2026 Volkwagen’s Project Trinity will roll out as a innovative electric vehicle. It will include autonomous driving and introduce a new business model that includes new functions for the vehicle as a downloadable service.

It has previously been described as “highly efficient” and as having an “iconic design.” The glasshouse style of the concept (likely used to display the LED focused interior) will not likely influence the look of the first production car.

Volkswagen, under its Accelerate plan, will release one new EV per year.

The Trinity EV will be based on some elements from the MEB EV platform but will include new powertrains and more advanced software. The software will provided increasingly advanced systems in terms of connectivity, technology and driving.

Volkswagen looks to set new standards with both distance and charging—the goal to have charging take no longer than a typical fuel stop.

Volkswagen Announces an “Open-Source” Approach to Creating Autonomous Car OS

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Volkswagen will be using the so-called “open-source” model to refine parts of its software operating system for its future vehicles. “Open-source” meaning collaborators outside of VW would help them create standards for vehicle operation systems. Perhaps they would come from other car companies or even from completely outside the auto industry.

With the gathering ubiquity of autonomous driving, any carmaker attempting to create a self-driving vehicle has to create thousands of lines of code to collect and analyze data from radar, cameras, sonic sensors etc and then the operation system must use this analyzed data to control the brakes and steering at the least.

VW, by 2025, wants to increase its involvement with developing its own software to 60%. Current VW is involved in only about 10% of the design. They’d also like to get more involved in electronics and vehicle architecture design.

VW stated the believe in the future, because of the use of open-source software, there will likely be fewer operating systems than there are car makers. Like with home computers and smart phones there are basically two choices Windows or Macintosh, Android or iOS.

VW wants to define the core operating system but is interested in collaborators to refine other elements of its functionality. All of this in the hopes of creating standards that could be used in a circle wider than just VW vehicles.

VW Announces New Electric SUV and Sports Models

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German automaker Volkswagen announced its new electric performance vehicle will be based on the ID 4 SUV which will include the gas model’s 4-wheel drive.

Volkswagen noted that these initial electric performance cars will be intended toward a different audience than long-time GTI fans. Using the ID 4 is then a good idea as with that dual motor set up that provides extra power and 4-wheel drive they can appeal to customers that would never be interested in a the single-motor, rear-wheel drive ID 3 format.

The first ID 4 offering will have just a rear wheel drive engine which will give the car 201bhp and 229lb ft of torque from a read electric motor. The 4-wheel drive model will follow, which will add a front motor and increasing output to 302bhp and 332lb ft of torque. These models will be available with several battery options, the best offering about 310 miles of range.

The ID 4s will be followed up with a coupe version, the ID 5. A GTX version of the ID 5 is in the works as well.

 

VW Debuts Drop Top T-Roc Small SUV

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In the wake of the decision to discontinue an icon, the VW Beetle, Volkswagen is introducing a drop top version of their small SUV the T-Roc.

While the T-Roc Cabrio looks more fun than practical, it is, according to VW, the only vehicle in its class with a convertible roof. The structure and body don’t scream SUV making the model truly something different.

The engine options are either an 85kW turbocharged 1.0 liter three cylinder or a 110kW 1.5 liter four cylinder. Standard transmission is a six-speed manual, but a seven speed dual clutch automatic is available with the 1.5 liter engine.

One package offers 17-inch wheels, leather interior and ambient lighting. The other adds part leather, part fabric sports seating and fog lights. Additionally, this “sport” package gets an engine retune for gear and steering.

All the new drop top T-Rocs will come standard with pedestrian detection and lane assistance.
Meanwhile consumers can add things like 11.7 inch digital gauge upgrade, Beats audio system and an infotainment system operated via touchscreen.
The drop top T-Roc Cabrio will be a debutant of the Frankfort Motor Show.

Volkswagen Rolls Out Last Ever Beetles

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An automotive icon will soon start a slow fade that will end in museums and collectors’ garages as Volkswagen saw the last Beetle roll of the assembly line. Is the end of a road that began in Nazi Germany, wound its way through the counterculture of the hippies in the U.S., but failed to find its way into the hearts of modern consumers who crave SUVs.
The final units of the retro, rounded compact rolled off the line accompanied by the music of a mariachi band as the workers of the VW plant in Puebla, Mexico celebrated the model that was introduced more than 80 years ago in Germany.

Thankfully the Puebla factory is in no danger—it produces VW’s Tiguan SUV and will take up the task of producing the Tarek SUV in place of the Beetle (late 2020). The last Beetles will be sold on Amazon.com, a decision that perfectly encapsulates Volkswagen’s willingness to move forward into the future.

Lovingly known by many as “The Bug,” the beetle made its debut in 1938. It was created at the behest of Adolf Hitler who wanted an car Germans could afford to increase the countries automobile ownership.

VW’s Spanish Brand Name Seat to Reveal ‘el-Born’ Concept

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VW Group’s Spanish brand name—Seat—will provide a first-look at its full electric concept car at the annual Geneva auto show. The model, el-Born, will offer autonomous features and connectivity options. The concept vehicle takes its namesake from an famous neighborhood of Barcelona.

In the WLTP test cycle the concept vehicle el-Born achieved a range of 261 miles according to Seat. Taking an 80% charge in just 47 minutes the el-Born concept’s 62 kWh battery is companionable with supercharging to a rate of 100 kW DC. The concept car has a power output rating maximum of 150 kW and will hit 62 mph in about seven and one-half seconds.

El-Born also employs an innovative thermal managing system to maximize the concept vehicle’s range even in radically hot and cold environments. El-Born’s heat pump minimizes the electrical heat consumption which in turn saves up to 60km in autonomy.
The el-Born production model will be created from the parent company’s MEB electric-car’s construction. This will underline the Volkswagen brand family identity along with their Skoda models and the Audi EV compact.

Seat’s production el-Born is slotted to be available in the coming year.

ID Lounge, VW’s New Luxury SUV

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At the Shanghai motor show in April, Volkswagen will introduce the tentatively titled ID Lounge as their new seven-seat SUV. Similar in dimension to the 3rd gen Toareg, the ID will be sold as a top range luxury model.

As used by the ID Buzz MPV, the ID Lounge will be based around Volkswagen’s largest, new version of the MEB platform. It will likely arrive in 2021 and could rival Tesla Model X and Nio ES8.

Again like the ID Buzz, expect the ID Lounge to come with a four-wheel driveline. It will employ two electric motors, one per set of rear and front wheels. Output is expected to be around 369bhp.

 

 

VW Leaks Info on Fastest Golf Yet

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VW has leaked drawings of a new Golf GTI TCR setting between the GTI Performance and Golf R as far as power ratings. It will be the fastest Golf to date, reaching max speeds of 164MPH. This new Golf is a road-ready version of the 345bhp GTI TCR Racer—the car that races in the World Touring Car Cup.

The new Golf isn’t dissimilar from the 2016 Clubsport Edition 40. The GTI’s 40th birthday edition. The TCR is ready to rock with 286bhp. No times are yet confirmed, but the new TCR will beat the GTI Perf. Model’s 0-62mph benchmark of 6.2 secs.

Its turbo engine reaches 286bhp at 5-6k rpm. It has a max torque of 273lb ft. It is a seven speed, dual-clutch and includes a front axle differential lock that VW claims will give it “perfect traction”. It’ll be revealed at the GTI meet at Wörthersee.

V.W. I.D. Crozz Concept Car: “the future is a little creepy”

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Greg Fink reported on the new Volkswagen I.D. Crozz Concept Car for Car and Driver:

“If there’s one thing today’s cars are missing, it’s headlights that emulate the movements of the human eye. Volkswagen is working to change this, and its all-electric I.D. Crozz concept joins the brand’s I.D. and I.D. Buzz predecessor concepts by offering headlights that can wink, squint, and even stare at people and objects. The VW of the future is a little creepy.”

Fink suspects that the I.D. Crozz may be the concept for the electric vehicle V.W. plans to produce in 2020. Like its I.D. predecessors, the Crozz uses Volkswagen’s new, EV-specific MEB platform. It has approximately 109 inch wheelbase and is about 182 inches long. Similar to the Tiguan. An 83-kWh lithium-ion battery is located under the floor, and two electric motors, one at each axle, are contained within the front and rear subframes.

Fink states that:

“Passengers enter the I.D. Crozz through either the electrically opening front doors, which can swing out 90 degrees, or the electric sliding rear doors. Once seated, the driver can either take control of the wheel or waive driving duties by pressing the steering wheel’s VW logo for three seconds to activate the I.D. Pilot autonomous-driving mode. In that self-driving mode, the steering wheel retracts into the dashboard, the ambient cabin lighting switches from blue to violet, four laser scanners rise from the roof, and the headlights do their best imitation of a human eye by purposefully “looking” in the direction of travel or staring at pedestrians to make sure they’re thoroughly befuddled, made aware of the approaching VW, or both.”

While this concept car sounds a bit more like science fiction, than science fact if the specs of a production vehicle based off this concept come near the ballpark of the concept specs, V.W. may have a winner on their hands.

The Crozz has a 101-hop front motor and 201-hp in the rear motor. V.W. is claiming a top speed of 112mph and the driving range is listed at 311 miles. Volkswagen asserts that the crossover’s battery pack can be recharged to 80 percent full in only 30 minutes with a DC fast charger.

Fink reports that V.W. plans to sell a million EVs worldwide by 2025.

Volkswagen will defrost your windshield – with silver!

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Autoweek reported that German automaker Volkswagen is rolling out a brand new windshield defrosting. This is just another iteration of the old “tiny wires in the glass” trick. Volkswagen has discovered a way to add a super-thin, conductive layer of invisible silver within glass used for windshields. The invisible silver layer can take between 400-500 watts of electricity, which is enough to improve defrost time. They are also offering customers an option that will keep their windshield wipers deiced as well. The technology is available for the following models: Golf, Golf Sportsvan, Tiguan, Sharan, Passat and its European variants.

This new invisible silver technology isn’t just for winter driving, however. The silver will also act as a passive heat shield to keep cars cooler in the summer. The silver, according to Volkswagen, will reflect up to 60 percent of summer heat. That is about 15 degrees more protection than conventional tinted windshields.

Prices for the new tech option will start at around $360.

Joe Victor