'BlueMotion' powers VW to save energy, boost sales
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The Touareg Hybrid twins a 3.0-liter V6 TSI engine with an electric motor to use just 8.2 liters of gasoline per 100km. [China Daily] |
German carmaker Volkswagen Group chalked up robust sales growth in China in the first 11 months of this year partly as a result of its "BlueMotion Technologies", pushing its global sales beyond all of last year.
The group delivered 1.82 million cars in China from January to November, an increase of 37.8 percent year-on-year.
The strong performance in the world's biggest auto market helped boost Volkswagen's global sales 12.7 percent to 6.59 million units, up from 6.3 million units in the whole of 2009.
Volkswagen said in a statement that its global sales for the full of this year are expected to exceed 7 million units for the first time.
The buoyant sales helped Volkswagen maintain its two-decade leadership in the country's passenger car sector.
Weiming Soh, member of the board of management and executive vice-president of Volkswagen Group China, told China Daily that the company's BlueMotion technologies has contributed significantly to its strong showing in China.
Range of models
BlueMotion includes new powertrain technologies - currently anchored by TSI engines and the DSG transmission - to cut fuel consumption and emissions.
A range of current Volkswagen products in China are equipped with TSI engines and DSG transmissions, such as the Lavida, Magotan, Sagitar, Bora as well as some Audi and Skoda models.
The 8th Guangzhou auto show that opens today will be the latest demonstration of Volkswagen push of the BlueMotion technologies in China, Soh said.
Using the slogan "Think Blue", Volkswagen is displaying 33 models at the auto show, almost 70 percent of them equipped with TSI and DSG technologies.
Think Blue represents not only the latest interpretation of Volkswagen's auto-making ideology, but also the company's commitment to "clean, efficient and sustainable" development, Soh said.
"Blue is the symbol of clear sky and deep ocean, and is the color of the planet we live on. Blue is also the distinguished color of Volkswagen brand," he stressed.
He said the concept of Think Blue worldwide has three manifestations.
From the perspective of product, Volkswagen is committed to providing green technological solutions that are more efficient and cleaner, he said.
In human terms, he said Volkswagen will work to facilitate change in people's driving habits to drive home the notion of energy conservation and emission reduction.
He added that at the corporate level, the company will more vigorously participate in eco-friendly projects with an attitude of active engagement.
Full lineup soon
"To realize the goal of sustainable motoring, Volkswagen builds on reality and sets its sights on the future," Soh said.
"Volkswagen's BlueMotion Technologies has been a leading brand in Europe and we are going to introduce the full series of the technologies in China very soon."
In May the group reached the goal set in 2007 to cut fuel consumption and emissions in its China-made fleet by 20 percent, mainly due to introduction of its TSI engines and DSG transmission.
Volkswagen's exhibits at the Guangzhou show also include the Lavida blue-e-motion, a compact purely electric-powered model.
The group said earlier this year that the Lavida and Golf electric cars would be produced at the its two joint ventures in China between 2013 and 2014.
In addition, Volkswagen is exhibiting the Touareg Hybrid which twins a 3.0-liter V6 TSI engines and an electric motor.
As the first mass-produced petrol-electric hybrid model, the sports-utility vehicle has maximum power of 380hp and peak torque of 580Nm. It only consumes 8.2 liters of gasoline per 100km.
Volkswagen Group China said the Touareg Hybrid is to be launched in China in 2011.
The group's China sales in the first 11 months of this year also included 207,506 Audis, up 50 percent from a year ago; and 166,967 Skodas, up 56.2 percent.
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