Volkswagen showcases hybrid cars at Auto Shanghai
Volkswagen showcased its C Coupé GTE, a high-end plug-in hybrid sedan which is aimed for the Chinese market at this week’s Auto Shanghai car show. This four-door concept car, which measures more than five meters in length, is powered by a plug-in hybrid drive system, the drive sources of which combine to produce 500 N·m of system torque.
“The future of the new Volkswagen premium class models is starting in Shanghai because the C Coupé GTE very clearly shows the new ‘face’ of top Volkswagen sedans for the first time,” said Klaus Bischoff, head of design for Volkswagen.
The C Coupé GTE sits on the same Volkswagen MLB platform, which was developed by Audi. Prior to this announcement, only Audi and Porsche were using the MLB platform. MLB uses a core matrix of components across a wide variety of platforms. As well as reducing weight, the concept allows diverse models, including those from the company’s various brands, to be manufactured at the same plant, further saving cost.
The C Coupé GTE can be powered electronically up to 130 km/h for a range of 50 km. It has a turbocharged gasoline direct injection (TSI) engine with four cylinders, an 8-speed automatic transmission, an electric motor integrated into the gearbox module and a lithium-ion battery.
The car’s combined fuel consumption, measured using the New European Driving Cycle, is 2.3 litres per 100 km, equating to 55 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometre.
The car’s total driving range is more than 800 kilometers.
The car has three other modes besides electric: default hybrid, which charges the battery through regenerative braking; GTE, in which the TSI and electric motor work together in boosting; and battery charge/battery hold, a dual mode which charges or keeps constant the battery so that electric mode can be switched on in seconds.
