Volkswagen HyMotion says hi in the SportWagen and Passat in LA

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Filed under: Concept Cars, LA Auto Show, Sedan, Wagon, Volkswagen, Technology



Toyota is certainly grabbing attention with the pricing of its Mirai fuel-cell vehicle, but Volkswagen is proving it understands hydrogen too at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show with versions of the Golf SportWagen and Passat that showcase its HyMotion system. The German brand is already testing the technology with a fleet of vehicles in the US.

What's surprising is how easy VW makes incorporating the HyMotion seem. The truly novel part about the tech is its hydrogen fuel cell that generates the electricity used to drive the vehicles. The electric motor and transmission come straight from the e-Golf, though, in this guise the powertrain produces 134 horsepower, a jump over the 113 hp of the electric Golf. VW estimates that the SportWagen HyMotion can hit 62 miles per hour in 10 seconds, but where the fuel cell really excels is in range. The company claims that the system offers 310 miles of driving distance, compared to about 118 miles in the e-Golf.

The SportWagen also shows that fuel-cell vehicles can be just as useful as their traditional, internal-combustion counterparts. The hydrogen is stored at 10,150 psi in four carbon fiber tanks underneath the vehicle. A lithium-ion battery in the rear gets its power from regenerative braking and provides power when setting off, when the fuel cell is still building up electric power. None of the parts intrude on the passenger compartment, and according to VW, refueling takes just three minutes.

VW is also showing off the Passat HyMotion that uses the same drivetrain but stuffed into the sedan. A bunch of the vehicles are already roaming around California for testing. Audi uses a similar version of the system in the company's fuel cell A7, as well.

From all of VW's indications, the HyMotion powertrain is useable today, but don't expect to be driving one anytime soon. The company warns in its announcement of the system: "Before the market launch, a hydrogen infrastructure would have to be created: not only a broad network of hydrogen fuel stations, but also the production of the hydrogen itself." That's not exactly a ringing endorsement. Still, scroll down to read all of the technical details about VW's fuel cell solution.Continue reading Volkswagen HyMotion says hi in the SportWagen and Passat in LA

Volkswagen HyMotion says hi in the SportWagen and Passat in LA originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Nov 2014 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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