New Volkswagen Plant On schedule

Wolfsburg/Chattanooga,Tennessee - During his one-week trip to the USA, Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Christian Wulff visited Volkswagen of America at the Chattanooga site accompanied by an industry delegation. The guests used the opportunity to find out more about the status of work on the new Volkswagen factory in the State of Tennessee and joined Governor Phil Bredesen to meet more than 100 regional representatives and business leaders.

  "The United States is one of the most important markets of the future for the Volkswagen Group. Our goal is to participate in the anticipated recovery on the US auto market and to achieve significant growth," Professor Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Volkswagen AG with responsibility for 'Group Production', explained. "We are creating the framework for this by building our new plant in Chattanooga, a core element of our strategy in the North America region," Heizmann emphasized and added: "Our highly attractive and environmentally friendly range of vehicles forms the basis of our present achievements - worldwide and in the USA. Our technology leadership combined with local production are the pillars for a successful future for the Volkswagen Group in the USA."

"A presence on international markets is a prerequisite for economic success," Wulff commented during a tour of the site. He added that this had again proved particularly true during the present crisis period. As a global company the Volkswagen Group was currently setting standards for successful partnerships worldwide. Summing up his impressions for the 50-strong delegation, Wulff said: "For me, Volkswagen's new plant in Chattanooga is an excellent example of the dynamic and successful internationalization of Lower Saxony's industry."" I want to thank Minister President Wulff for taking the time out of his busy schedule to visit Chattanooga, said Governor Phil Bredeson. "Myself and Mayors Littlefield and Ramsey as well as all our elected officials and civic leaders are committed to making this the very best working relationship."

The Volkswagen Group celebrated the erection of the first wall of the Chattanooga factory in May 2009. By the end of this year, all buildings on the approximately 5.6 square kilometer site including the body shop, paint shop and assembly halls will have been completed. Work on the interior of the halls will begin in the first half of 2010. The local team presently comprises some 150 people, one third of them international experts including specialists from Germany. From 2011, more than 2,000 employees will be working for Volkswagen in Chattanooga.

"The Volkswagen brand can look back on a long tradition in the USA. The beginning of construction work on our new plant in Chattanooga marks a new chapter in our joint history," Plant Manager Frank Fischer said. "We are fully on schedule with the plant and believe in our lasting success on the American market. Our strong products and a great team are the best arguments."

The Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory is an important element in the Volkswagen Group's growth strategy. The objective is to triple the number of Volkswagen brand vehicles sold in the United States to 800,000 by 2018. From 2011, the state-of-the-art, one-billion dollar plant in Chattanooga will commence production of a model developed specially for the North American market. The plant is designed for an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles. 

source: http://www.volkswagengroupamerica.com.

Volkswagen 1-2-3 at Dakar Rally

 Triumphant title defence in South America: Volkswagen has won the legendary Dakar Rally for the second time in succession and including 1980 for a third time.

After a 'showdown in blue' the Volkswagen duos and their TDI powered Race Touareg prototypes celebrated a one-two-three podium lockout at the finish of the toughest challenge worldwide in motorsport. In the process, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) triumphed by only 2 minutes 12 seconds ahead of his team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) in a thrilling finale on the closing 202 kilometre sprint on the 14th and final rally day. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) claimed third position. Last year's winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished seventh.

"I'm incredibly proud of our team. It's stunning what the drivers, co-drivers and the entire team have achieved on every single day of the Dakar Rally. With this one-two-three triumph Volkswagen Motorsport even surpassed its own lofty goals," says Dr. rer. pol. h. c. Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, Member of the Board of Management at VOLKSWAGEN AG for procurement, at the finish of the final stage. Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen explains: "Three weeks ago a highly motivated Volkswagen team came with the goal of successfully defending the 'Dakar' title won last year. Volkswagen has achieved something historical with this one-two-three. We are not only unbeaten in South America, we are also the only manufacturer to have won the world's hardest rally up to now with diesel technology. The Volkswagen drivers fought amongst themselves for victory all the way to the chequered flag - sometimes by hard but fair means. This is exactly how we imagine motorsport to be. My congratulations therefore go to every Volkswagen duo who would all have been worthy winners."

The Wolfsburg based brand therefore remains the only manufacturer to have won the car category of the Dakar Rally with diesel power. TDI technology was already dominant in 2009 in Argentina and Chile. In addition to the efficiency of the Volkswagen Group's diesel direct injection technology the Race Touareg's reliability was the key to the 2010 "Dakar" victory: Despite the extreme demands the powerful 300 hp Race Touareg proved to be not only the most robust, but also the fastest vehicle: Seven of 14 possible stage victories and eleven days in the lead were credited to the four-wheel drive racers from Wolfsburg.

The result of the rally kept observers and fans alike on tenterhooks up to the finish line: Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz, Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford led in this order since the fifth Dakar Rally stage. However, at no point did any driver duo have an unassailable lead. In a strong final burst Al-Attiyah/Gottschalk edged ever closer, repeatedly taking seconds from their Volkswagen team mates Sainz/Cruz and, in doing so, staged an open and hard but fair duel for the leading position. The Qatari/German duo made up ground specifically in the dune sections - which once again formed one of the "Dakar's" core elements - while the Spanish duo Sainz/Cruz controlled proceedings on the fast, twisty gravel sections.

As varied as the fight in the overall standings was - two stage wins went to Sainz/Cruz, four to Al-Attiyah/Gottschalk, one to Miller/Pitchford -, so challenging proved the 32nd running of the Dakar Rally: In addition to the varied stages across soft, in part powder-like sand and through towering and endless dune fields of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile there were also gravel sections and tracks through enormous boulder fields on the agenda. The multi-faceted acid test with its terrain changing several times a day, two Andes crossings, passages through the world's driest desert, the Atacama, as well as parts of the legendary Pampa was mastered brilliantly by the Volkswagen Race Touareg. One Race Touareg was always found in the top-three of each stage at the finish, 27 of a possible 42 top-three positions on the 14 stages went to Wolfsburg.

For the new "Dakar" champions Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz a winning streak continued in front of millions of fans lining the daily stages in Argentina and Chile. As newly formed duo in the Volkswagen Race Touareg the Spanish pair remained unbeaten in their third competition together and secured a new superlative in "Dakar" history: Never before have two Spaniards won the legendary desert rally's automobile category. Sainz/Cruz had previously won the Rallye dos Sertões in June and July 2009 as well as the Silk Way Rally in September 2009.

The Volkswagen statistics in cross country rallying make for equally impressive reading: The Wolfsburg based brand is unbeaten since January 2009 and with its second "Dakar" triumph since 2009 continues the Volkswagen Group's success story with TDI technology: After Audi's Le Mans victories between 2006 and 2008 and winning the World Touring Car Championship with SEAT in 2008 and 2009, Volkswagen has been successful at the "Dakar" in 2009 and 2010 thanks to TDI Power.

source: Volkswagen Motorsport Press Release

Volkswagen's fuel-sipping petrol-electric SUV also packs a punch

 Volkswagen has wrapped up the development of its all-new Touareg Hybrid which will go on sale in selected markets next year.

Final fuel consumption testing results are yet to be revealed, but engineers had been given the task of achieving 8.5 litres per 100km - an impressive number for such a large car.

This represents a fuel economy gain of more than 25 per cent, but the Touareg Hybrid also promises improved acceleration and the ability to tow loads of up to 3500kg.

However, VW Australia is yet to decide if the high-end - and possibly pricey - vehicle will make it to Australia any time soon.

GoAuto spent time with Touareg hybrid development engineers in Volkswagen's Wolfsburg headquarters today and was briefed on the vehicle before a test drive in early prototype vehicles.

The team could not give away all the details, because information about the upcoming new Touareg range is yet to be released, but they painted a detailed picture of how the important SUV would function.

The The petrol component of the vehicle is a supercharged 3.0-litre direct-injection TSI V6 engine from the Audi S4 sports sedan. It produces a healthy 245kW of power and 440Nm of torque.

An 'E-motor' electric motor sits between the engine and the gearbox, delivering 30kW and 110Nm of assistance.

The hybrid components add 175kg to the Touareg's weight. However, the new Touareg's body will be significantly lighter than the current version, meaning that the Touareg Hybrid is expected to weigh about 2250kg when it enters production.

Despite its heft, the Touareg Hybrid prototype is still capable of surging from 0-100km/h in just 6.8 seconds. Insiders suggest the production vehicle will be another 0.3 seconds faster.

While Toyota and Lexus hybrids use a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), the Touareg Hybrid uses a regular Aisen torque converter automatic transmission with eight gears.

It does not receive the lockable centre differential and low-range transfer case of the existing car, but does have constant all-wheel drive.
Volkswagen said the car was still extremely capable off road even without low-range gearing, thanks to its low-end torque.
As long as the driver is easy on the accelerator, the car can run in pure electric mode up to 50km/h before the combustion engine takes over.
The combustion engine stops when the driver backs off the throttle, up to 160km/h.
If the driver reapplies the throttle gently, the car can continue at some speed before the petrol engine starts up again.

The Touareg Hybrid also shuts down the combustion engine at idle.

Ancillary systems such as headlights, sound system, heating and air-conditioning can draw energy from the electric motor, although after a while the combustion engine will need to kick in to keep energy levels high.

The hybrid SUV has a 79kg 240-cell nickel metal hydride battery pack below the rear cargo floor. It uses the same technology as the Toyota Prius and its competitors.

It generates 288 volts and stores 1.7 kiloWatt hours of electricity.

The battery is housed in an aluminium case that is cooled by an air vent that sucks in air from below the car. Although it sits in the spare wheel well, and the luggage floor still has had to raised 50mm.

At this stage there is no plan for a spare wheel of any kind, just a repair kit, but Volkswagen could end up offering a mounting to make sure owners do not get stuck in the outback.

The vehicle runs low-rolling resistance tyres for maximum efficiency.

The battery gets a top-up charge from regenerative braking, in which the electric motor reverses the current under deceleration while helping to slow the car.

The Touareg Hybrid initially accelerates in electric-only mode before switching to combustion engine-only mode, but if the driver floors the accelerator or pre-selects a special S mode, both powerplants go to work at the same time.

Healthy performance and the ability of the Touareg Hybrid to tow heavy loads was central to the vehicle's development.

"We wanted this to replicate the Touareg driving experience," said Touareg Hybrid project manager Dr Bernd Stiebels. "Customers like the Touareg. We couldn't allow any compromises."

Dr Stiebels said Volkswagen did not want the Touareg Hybrid to be like the Lexus RX450h, which is not designed to go off road and had a reduced towing load.

"It (the Lexus) looks like an SUV, but it isn't an SUV," he said.

This is one of the reasons why VW refused to use a CVT and instead developed the regular automatic.

It said a CVT would not have been able to cope with the necessary extreme towing loads and uphill driving.

When the vehicle goes into electric mode, it free-wheels, without engine braking.

This could be a problem for extreme off-road work when drivers rely on engine braking to slow their descent.

Volkswagen would not discuss the details but said it had a solution for this problem.

Elements of the Touareg Hybrid system including the E-Motor unit - developed with Bosch - will be used for other Volkswagen Group vehicles.

It will be suitable for small-car platforms and can be adapted to double-clutch DSG automatics.

Volkswagen said it was already looking at next-generation lithium ion batteries, but said it was not yet convinced they were ready for cars.

The company is yet to reveal a price for the hybrid model, but Dr Stiebels said it would be "one of the top-end models in the Touareg range".

The Touareg Hybrid model will look largely the same as the regular combustion-engined models, although there will be some small design touches to help the car stand out.

It is not yet clear when the Touareg Hybrid will touch down in Australia.

Volkswagen Australia said the car was not on its short-term model plan and would have to be carefully considered given its premium price and relatively low numbers.

Drive impressions:
PROVIDED the price is right, the Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid is likely to be a compelling vehicle because it is so good to drive.

It might be relatively green, but that does not mean puny performance. Like most other SUVs, it can tow serious loads and climb serious hills, and still provide healthy acceleration.

At least, that's the impression GoAuto gained in a drive of a prototype - the new petrol-electric hybrid powertrain stuffed into a current body. Our final opinion will have to wait for the production model, which will have the benefit of an all new and significantly lighter body.

We were warned of teething problems in the prototype, including the odd ordinary gear change, but it was generally excellent, if a somewhat strange experience.

The hybrid drivetrain makes no noise when creeping away from standstill on electric motor power.

Apply some throttle and the combustion engine quickly comes in. Take it easy and 50km/h or so might be achieved before it fires up.

Unlike the rough ebngine start-up of many current idle-stop cars, the Toaureg Hybrid's petrol changeover is hardly noticeable, so much so that from the rear seat, you have to keep an eye on the tacho to see if the engine is on or off.

At cruising speed, lifting the foot from the throttle pedal stops the engine, and everything goes quiet. Gently touching the accelerator pedal will keep the car going nicely on electric power.

Some customers might expect a hybrid SUV to run for far longer on the full electric mode, but when you are driving a car this big and heavy, that simply is not possible.

The prototype achieved an impressive consumption figure of around 7.0L/100km on one section - remarkable for a vehicle of this size. That said, lead-footed drivers have no guarantee of saving much fuel.

They will, however, have some fun. The acceleration of the Touareg Hybrid is so strong that when the electric motor and petrol engine combine that the temptation to put the foot to the floor is almost irresistable.

Aa a few lucky Audi S4 owner already know, the supercharged 3.0-litre engine powering the Touareg Hybrid is a good engine, serving lashing of smooth low-down torque.

Add electric motivation as well and the hybrid prototype apparently can run a 0-100km/h sprint just as quickly as a high-performance R50 diesel Touareg, even leading for much of the distance.

Unlike most hybrids that use quirkly CVT transmissions, the Touareg Hybrid uses a conventional automatic with conventional shifting qualities and none of that CVT slipping sensation.

You can't, however, forget it is a bulky vehicle in the corners, but it is, afterall, an SUV

Despite a cargo floor that sits 50mm higher than normal to cater for the battery bulging from the spare-wheel hole, there is still heaps of luggage room.

At this stage, the solution to a flat tyre is a repair kit consisting of a can of goop which is unlikely to be of much use when there is a gaping hole in your sidewall.

Volkswagen Australia said it hoped some form of external wheel holder would be made available if the Touareg Hybrid came here.

It is unclear how much the lack of a transfer case and crawler gears will be an issue off road. The engineers working on the car say the electric hybrid drive will be a benefit, helping in tight spots.

However, Volkswagen makes some cracking diesels, especially in the V6 form, and they as simpler than the hybrid and lighter too.

But if a hybrid appeals, the Touareg Hybrid will be tempting unless it is priced out of the class.

We will have to wait and see the production version, but the prototype shows the customers do not have to compromise to drive a relatively green car.

source: http://www.carsguide.com - Written by: James Stanford