Valleyforge
03-02-2006, 08:00 AM
VW to invest in improving gas mileage (http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060302/BUSINESS01/603020551/1014)
MARCH 2, 2006 BLOOMBERG
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/VW.jpg
Volkswagen plans to spend $2.38 billion over the next five years to develop and build cars that burn less fuel, said Wolfgang Bernhard, Volkswagen's brand chief.
"We see that rising fuel prices put our customers in need of more-fuel-efficient vehicles," Bernhard said at the Geneva Motor Show. "We are talking about a completely new world of engine technology."
VW unveiled a variation on its Polo car called the Polo BlueMotion, which uses 0.13 of a gallon less fuel per 62 miles than the current version of the vehicle. The carmaker will develop BlueMotion versions of Golf and Passat cars, which will also show the same efficiency improvement, Bernhard said.
VW CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder said at the show that the carmaker is starting a group effort to develop alternative fuel uses and that every future model "will use less fuel than its predecessor." Volkswagen and competitors such as Ford Motor Co. are working to find ways to reduce fuel consumption.
"We're working on a number of technologies to meet what appears to be an increasing demand for technology which is both CO{-2} friendly and clearly fuel-consumption friendly," said John Fleming, president of Ford Europe. "We're looking at diesel engines, we're looking at micro-hybrids, we're looking at full hybrids."
Volkswagen will spend the $2.38 billion on new engine and transmission technology. One project under way is an advanced version of Volkswagen's current double-clutch automatic transmission that would burn 14% less fuel than standard manual transmissions.
MARCH 2, 2006 BLOOMBERG
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/VW.jpg
Volkswagen plans to spend $2.38 billion over the next five years to develop and build cars that burn less fuel, said Wolfgang Bernhard, Volkswagen's brand chief.
"We see that rising fuel prices put our customers in need of more-fuel-efficient vehicles," Bernhard said at the Geneva Motor Show. "We are talking about a completely new world of engine technology."
VW unveiled a variation on its Polo car called the Polo BlueMotion, which uses 0.13 of a gallon less fuel per 62 miles than the current version of the vehicle. The carmaker will develop BlueMotion versions of Golf and Passat cars, which will also show the same efficiency improvement, Bernhard said.
VW CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder said at the show that the carmaker is starting a group effort to develop alternative fuel uses and that every future model "will use less fuel than its predecessor." Volkswagen and competitors such as Ford Motor Co. are working to find ways to reduce fuel consumption.
"We're working on a number of technologies to meet what appears to be an increasing demand for technology which is both CO{-2} friendly and clearly fuel-consumption friendly," said John Fleming, president of Ford Europe. "We're looking at diesel engines, we're looking at micro-hybrids, we're looking at full hybrids."
Volkswagen will spend the $2.38 billion on new engine and transmission technology. One project under way is an advanced version of Volkswagen's current double-clutch automatic transmission that would burn 14% less fuel than standard manual transmissions.