Volkswagen went to the 2010 New York International Auto Show to
continue building credibility as a green vehicle company. The automaker
got a boost when the 2010 World Green Car of the Year was bestowed on
its trio of VW BlueMotion models. The Golf, Passat and Polo BlueMotion
models were awarded by World Car of the Year, a group of 59 industry
journalists and auto experts from around the world. This award has been
given at every New York International Auto Show since 2006 to the model
that balances low emissions, high fuel economy and sound design.
The
BlueMotion drive system uses a variety of design features to push fuel
economy upwards of 50 miles per gallon. Volkswagen has installed its
start-stop system in all three models to reduce diesel consumption at
full stops. The BlueMotion regenerative braking system gathers energy
produced while braking to recharge batteries and restart engines from
full stops. Volkswagen also uses more aerodynamic spoilers and grills
along with low-resistance tires to eliminate detriments to fuel
economy.
Volkswagen’s estimated performance of the BlueMotion
models seems too good to be true. Volkswagen notes that the Passat
BlueMotion can achieve up to 983 miles per tank of diesel with a fuel
economy of 53 miles per gallon. The Golf BlueMotion is projected to get
74 miles per gallon with a maximum range of nearly 900 miles per tank.
These performance statistics have convinced rental car company Avis to
incorporate 540 Golf BlueMotion units into its Eco Collection over the next
year. As the buzz of the 2010 World Green Car of the Year award gets
around to prospective buyers, Volkswagen will see a significant rise in
interest for its BlueMotion line.
The 2010 World Green Car of
the Year has been awarded to a variety of green cars in its brief
existence. Honda won in 2006 with the Civic Hybrid and again last year
with the FCX Clarity. The award went to Mercedes-Benz in 2007 for its
E320 Bluetec model and BMW in 2008 for its 118d model. Volkswagen
certainly hopes to achieve the same levels of sales as the Honda Civic
Hybrid over the next decade. In order to do so, the BlueMotion line
must continue to decline in production costs, achieve its potential in
terms of fuel economy and break the diesel barrier in order to reach
consumers in North America.
