Economic drives on trial on the roads of China with Golf ECO.Power

Press Release

• Future technologies demonstrating everyday driving suitability
• Competition with saving potential

With a sophisticated range of four vehicles, Volkswagen is taking part in this year's Challenge Bibendum in Shanghai. Two series models, the Bora TDI, which is produced in China, and the extremely economic Lupo 3L TDI, as well as two concept cars, the Golf ECO.Power and Touran HyMotion, with a combined diesel-electric drive and fuel cell drive respectively, are competitive proof of Volkswagen's technological expertise.

The Challenge Bibendum was founded in 1998 by the French tyre manufacturer Michelin and takes place this year in the Chinese commercial metropolis of Shanghai from 12th to 14th October 2004. The world's largest competition for environmentally compatible vehicles is therefore taking place in a region with the highest economic growth rates. Competing in nine drive categories, a total of 112 vehicles have been registered for the Challenge in Shanghai. The jury will not only assess the environmental characteristics and low consumption of the vehicles, but also the driving characteristics, comfort and safety and the noise made by the vehicles.

The two participating Volkswagen series-production vehicles, the Lupo 3L TDI and Bora TDI, are prime examples for the prefect combination of high economic efficiency, best environmental compatibility and practical comfort features and safety equipment. At the Challenge Bibendum both vehicles will be filled up with the biosynthetic fuel SunDiesel.

Two further Volkswagen models, which are taking part in the Challenge Bibendum in Shanghai, provide an insight into sophisticated future technologies which are being developed by the engineers at Volkswagen as environmentally friendly drives for the future. The Golf ECO.Power combines the economic diesel drive of a 1.4-litre, three-cylinder engine of 76 kW output with an electric engine of up to 15 kW. An impressive saving potential for the fuel consumption of the Golf is a result of the combination of these technologies. The Golf ECO.Power, which is equipped with a stop-start function, consumes an average of only 3.8 litres of diesel fuel per 100 kilometres - a sheerly sensational value for a compact class vehicle.

The vision of a zero-emission drive for passenger vehicles is now within reach due to the Touran HyMotion. It has a fuel-cell drive which creates energy on the basis of hydrogen reacting with oxygen. Pure water is the only waste product generated in the process.

Volkswagen places a strong emphasis on the research of environmentally friendly drive technologies for passenger vehicle traffic of the future. This is underlined by a joint research project which has just been agreed upon between Volkswagen AG and the University of Tongji in Shanghai and is due to start in November 2004. The parties involved intend to promote and sustain the development of environmentally friendly drives with fuel cells, electric engines and powerful batteries over a long period of research and, in this way, pave the way for these technologies in series production.