There are a lot of premieres at the IAA in Frankfurt, an important for friends of natural gas drive is the new Golf Variant TGI.
Golf Variant TGI
TDI, TSI and now also TGI. These three abbreviations stand for the different types of fuel with which the engines can be driven within the Group. TSI stands for gasoline engines, TDI for diesel and now TGI for natural gas engines.
The four-cylinder turbo engine of the Golf Variant TGI BlueMotion develops 110 PS and runs on both natural gas and gasoline. The high octane rating of 130 ROZ can be exploited by charging and adapting the engine to the extremely clean natural gas fuel. The result is an efficient drive with extremely low fuel consumption values of 3,5 kg / 100 km in the drive cycle and a CO2 output of only 95 g / km. If the costs are now converted into euros per kilometer, 4 € will be enough for 100 kilometers.
The Golf Variant debuts the second natural gas vehicle alongside the Golf on the basis of the new modular transverse modular system (MQB). The models are designed from the outset so that in addition to conventional engines all newly developed, modular engine families, from hybrid and natural gas to drive components for pure electric vehicles, can be used.
Natural gas engines develop around 25 percent less CO2 emissions than comparable gasoline engines. By using biogas even around 80 percent of CO2 can be saved. Pure biogas is already being sold to 177 natural gas filling stations in Germany. On average, the biogas content of natural gas as a fuel is 20 percent.
Switching to a natural gas vehicle today means no more abandonment - neither on performance or comfort, nor on a sufficient range. Thanks to the expanded filling station network now operated by 920 natural gas filling stations in Germany alone, the supply of natural gas is guaranteed nationwide. The standard on-board fuel tank, a total range of nearly 1.400 kilometers is possible. In natural gas operation, a distance of around 430 km is feasible - which is particularly worthwhile because of the low fuel costs of less than 4 Euro per hundred kilometers.
The environmental friendliness of natural gas engines has been repeatedly confirmed by various awards: For example, the eco up! the title "overall winner" in the VCD car environmental list 2012 and 2013, at the same time was the natural gas powered up! awarded with the ACV Mobile Environmental Award. The Passat TSI EcoFuel is also a natural gas-powered success model, with accolades such as "Yellow Angel 2012" in the "Car of the Future" category and the coveted 5 star award in the ADAC EcoTest.
In addition to electromobility, natural gas is one of the key pillars for implementing the group-wide drive and fuel strategy with alternative drive concepts. Volkswagen is convinced of the natural gas drive: It is the only alternative drive that can currently be realized in large numbers and is well-engineered and can be used without major restrictions with a high CO2 impact.