When it comes to electric vehicles, the science that discharges power from charged up batteries is proving stubborn. There is only so much you can do with heavy lithium-ion batteries. Tesla’s solution is to have a very big and heavy battery (85kWh) to get the range up and it’s not cheap to do. The smaller batteries used by others mean significantly lower range.
Maybe it shouldn’t matter. Surveys of car use and journeys tell us that the typical EV range of 100 miles or so is perfectly adequate for many people’s daily use in urban areas. That may well be self-evident, but we’re into how people feel: perhaps it shouldn’t matter, but it does. People like to have the security of hundreds of miles of range on a full tank and a puny 100 miles range leaves people a little uncomfortable with the margins and the many ‘what if’ scenarios. ‘What if’ I need to do that unexpected journey? ‘What if’ the battery charge is running low and I am diverted by unforeseen roadworks, or an accident? Of course, you may be running a second car that is fine for those longer journeys. Or you may be on a deal that allows you to get quick access to a large car when you need it (Fiat is doing that with the 500e in the US).
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However, whichever way you look at it, the EV in its current form doesn’t quite stack up all that well for the typical buyer who needs (or thinks they need) a bit more flexibility and the easy reassurance that a full tank of the black gold provides. Yes, there will be niches that EVs can hit, but paying a premium (unit costs will remain high for a good while longer on what is relatively expensive and new technology) for a vehicle that can cause a degree of ‘range anxiety’ isn’t the strongest proposition for many.
While the science behind electric vehicles is a little bit “stuck”, hybrids and range extenders provide what might be termed a very usable transitional solution. And a new breed of plug-in hybrids are coming to market that ought to stimulate interest further. They offer the possibility of usable electric running off the national grid, backed up by a gasoline or diesel engine for greater range when you need it. And there is some clever technology being employed to overcome the inherent weight penalty that comes with having two powertrain sources on board.
What we’re talking about here is the promise of ‘the best of both worlds’: some electric power and some fossil-fuelled power. The combination with the ability to select mix can offer the possibility of full on zero-emission motoring when needed or added sports performance utilising the outputs of both power sources simultaneously.
Now, the word ‘hybrid’ tends to conjure up a picture in my mind of the first Toyota Prius that hit the market back in the 1990s. Unfair I know. It was an early environmental statement car for the Hollywood actor who probably also had a Ferrari and a Hummer tucked away in the garage. The point was not its grace, but that it was a car helping to save the planet and therefore unconventional looks underlined its mission as a differentiated product, an industry disruptor. Not a piece of automotive art, or like the rest, but a genuine pioneer. Toyota still leads the way with hybrids, but it’s interesting to see what others are doing and how the plug-in hybrid space is rapidly evolving. The ‘statement’ element is certainly becoming a bit more subtle.
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By GlobalDataAnd it doesn’t get much more subtle than the Volkswagen Golf GTE (Gran Turismo with an ‘E’ for Electricity). It looks like a sporty Golf and, broadly speaking, it is. Volkswagen’s Golf GTE plug-in hybrid is a recent addition to the field and VW has clearly invested considerable sums in the technology, which is shared across group brands (the same tech is in the Audi A3 e-tron). The GTE is driven by two engines: a 1.4-litre TSI direct-injection petrol engine and a 102 PS electric motor. Together they produce a maximum power of 204 PS and a theoretical range of 580 miles. So, there’s no range anxiety, then. There are various operating modes (for example that can max out on efficiency or sports performance, and switching between them is easy) and it can manage up to 31 miles in pure electric mode. It can also hold the battery charge so that you can, for example, opt to save your zero-emission driving for when you know you will need it in a zero-emission zone in a city centre.
In electric mode the GTE is no super slouch; it can manage a top speed of 81mph – very respectable, though you probably would not want to do that very often on Kensington High Street. In the UK it is expected to enjoy some of the fiscal benefits that come with ultra-efficient electric drive vehicles, such as being exempt from the London Congestion Charge and qualifying for a UK government grant that will take GBP5,000 off the retail price.
The really interesting thing about this model is that it is presented as a “GT”. The GTE is indeed a pretty capable sports performer: the ICE and electric motor acting together can give it a top speed of 138mph (222 km/h) and it accelerates to 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in just 7.6 seconds. No, it’s not as quick as a GTI or quite as nimble (and the purists will pounce on that, of course), but that’s quick enough for most people.
The design and packaging of Golf GTE is designed to give a premium sports feel and it succeeds in that. Standard exterior features include LED headlights and LED daytime running lights (the latter with a C-shaped light signature in the independently styled bumper), dark red LED rear lights and 16-inch alloy wheels (optional wheels up to 18-inch). The red stripe on the radiator grille and headlights that is typical of the Golf GTI is designed in blue on the Golf GTE. Standard interior details include GTI style sport seats (GTE: blue checked design on seat and backrest surfaces) and a multifunction sport steering wheel. Touchscreen infotainment with DAB and Bluetooth is standard, while optional navigation includes EV features such as the ability to identify potential destinations within range and charging points.
When I took the car out in the countryside around Zurich as well as for a run through the city, I enjoyed the drive very much (the six-speed DSG gearbox developed for hybrid vehicles is standard) and the ability to easily switch between modes according to your mood or immediate operating needs is a real strength. As you would expect on such a model, the interior has been well executed to deliver a premium feel.
Yes, you will pay for all that clever tech in the GTE (price in Germany EUR36,900; UK expected to be GBP28,000 after the GBP5,000 government grant). There are currently no plans to sell the car in the US. Volkswagen Group certainly has the industrial might to cover all the powertrain mix bases. There are some signs that the European diesel tide may be turning on renewed fears of poor air quality in cities wrought by vast quantities of diesel engine noxious emissions now that so much of the car parc has turned from petrol to diesel. Electrification is likely to be a part of the automotive solution to that emerging issue.
While battery science constraints continue to impede pure electric car take-up (though they will be growing and battery performance will be incrementally improving over time) plug-in hybrid solutions will inevitably be grabbing more consumer attention. A wave of new models is coming. Volkswagen’s Golf GTE shows what can potentially be done to win over groups of consumers who want one vehicle only and will increasingly be considering the need for zero-emission driving capability, but who would also like to avoid range anxiety. There’s a claimed average CO2 consumption figure of just 35g/km (also helpful to meet the much tougher company CO2 averages ahead being mandated by the European regulators). So, you’re doing your bit for the environment and future proofing yourself for the probable proliferation of zero-emission areas in European cities. And, in this model, you can also have some fun.
An overview of the plug-in hybrid set-up
The drive units used in the Golf GTE are a 110 kW / 150 PS turbocharged petrol direct-injection engine (1.4 TSI – EU6 compliant) and an electric motor with 75 kW / 102 PS. The system power when the two drive units work together is 150 kW / 204 PS. The electric motor is supplied with energy from a high-voltage lithium-ion battery; the energy capacity of this battery, which features a liquid cooling system, is 8.7 kWh. The battery is charged via a socket behind the VW logo on the radiator grille. The gearbox that Volkswagen uses is an automatic 6-speed DSG with three clutches (dual clutch plus disengagement clutch) which was specially developed for hybrid use. Whenever possible, the disengagement clutch disengages the TSI from the driven front axle and shuts it off – such as in phases of “coasting”; in this case, the Golf GTE makes use of the car’s kinetic energy and coasts without any added propulsive power. Volkswagen integrated the electric motor into the gearbox housing. Viewed from the front, the TSI is located on the left side of the engine compartment, the electric motor in the middle (in the DSG housing) and the dual clutch gearbox on the right side.
The Golf GTE and e-Golf share some hardware. As in the e-Golf, additional components of the hybrid drive include the power electronics (converts DC power from the battery to AC power for the electric motor) and a charger. An electro-mechanical brake servo and an electric air conditioning compressor also ensure optimal and energy-efficient operation of the brakes and air conditioner in “E-mode” when only the electric motor is powering the Golf GTE.
All components are described as compact and lightweight. The TSI weighs 102.8 kg, the electric motor 34 kg, the DSG 98.5 kg and the power electronics 12 kg. The high-voltage battery is located under the vehicle floor in front of the rear bench seat where it does not affect the amount of space offered in the car. The battery weighs 120 kg, and with all of its components, the base version of the Golf GTE has a DIN kerb weight of 1,524 kg (compares with petrol GTI weight of 1,351kg).
The 8.8kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged in around three and a half hours from a domestic mains outlet, or two and a quarter hours from a domestic wallbox. Volkswagen provides a warranty on the high-voltage battery of eight years or 160,000 km.
From completely flat, it can be fully charged in 3 hours 45 minutes. Volkswagen offers an optional wall box for a garage or carport which charges at a power level of 3.6 kW. By this method, the battery is fully charged after 2 hours 15 minutes. Like the wall box, there are also public charging stations that “refuel” electric cars at a power level of 3.6 kW. In the Golf GTE, the charging process can be started immediately by pressing a button on the charging socket behind the VW badge. Time-delayed charging is also possible.
