We are inclined to get mesmerized by the most recent information about electrical supercars from Ferrari, Rimac, or Alfa Romeo, however within the bigger scheme of issues, these vehicles do little to maneuver the EV revolution ahead by any vital quantity. The newest information from Volkswagen is far much less horny, however arguably extra essential to the electrical automobile transition.
Electrify France Brings Quick Charging To French Drivers
Courtesy of Volkswagen
Taking a web page from its Electrify America quick charging community within the US — which was launched partially as penance for its diesel emissions dishonest scandal — Volkswagen Group is making a community of 150 DC quick charging stations all through France. Every charging level will be capable to service two electrical automobiles.
Sometimes, quick chargers are deployed alongside main freeway routes. Volkswagen Group is among the founding members of Ionity, a consortium of main European automakers who wish to make excessive energy chargers obtainable to their electrical automobile prospects. The distinction right here is that Electrify France might be positioned at amenities belonging to varied members of the Group — Volkswagen, Volkswagen Industrial Automobiles, Audi, SEAT, CUPRA and Škoda — which might be positioned away from highways and concrete facilities.
In a press launch, Volkswagen Group France says it’s important to supply drivers of electrical automobiles the usage of quick charging stations every day as a result of in France 50% of drivers wouldn’t have entry to charging tools the place they dwell. The Electrify France places might be obtainable to the general public 24 hours a day so all EV drivers will be capable to add as much as 200 km of driving vary in 20 minutes or much less each time they should.
Xavier Chardon, chairman of Volkswagen Group France, says, “The initiatives that VGF deploys by way of electromobility are robust and permit all homeowners of electrical automobiles to recharge in a couple of minutes all through France. It is a main dedication from a really dedicated producer!”
Luc Chausson, who’s in command of the Electrify France mission provides, “The set up of quick chargers in our community is a powerful signal that our distributors are dedicated to remodeling their enterprise mannequin, with the need to fulfill our prospects by putting in top quality charging stations, open to all.”
Every charging location might be outfitted with no less than one 150 kW charger. The most important installations can have as much as 12 quick charging factors. Electrify France is meant to supply higher protection, significantly in areas with few motorways which might be exterior city areas. Ultimately it’s anticipated to increase to 700 websites throughout France.
Along with the brand new quick charging places, VGF can be investing in solar energy amenities so as to add emissions free electrical energy to the French electrical grid, a few of which might be used to energy the brand new Electrify France charging stations. On June 29, 2023, the Villers-Cotterêts photo voltaic facility was commissioned. At 15 hectares (37 acres), it’s the fifth largest non-public photo voltaic park in France and is able to producing 20 MW of peak energy.
New Volkswagen Passat Variant PHEV
Courtesy of Volkswagen
This week, Volkswagen made one other announcement that’s vital to EV advocates. It launched the most recent model of the Passat, which any longer might be supplied solely in Variant type, recognized to Individuals as a station wagon. That is the ninth model of the Passat, which is constructed on the corporate’s MQB evo platform.
The brand new Passat will include a selection of turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines. It aslo might be supplied with a 110 kW (147 hp) 48 volt delicate hybrid choice. However that’s not the large information. There might be two plug-in hybrid fashions, one that includes 150 kW (201 hp) of energy and the opposite providing 200 kW (268 hp) complete output. Versus the prior PHEV Passat, the brand new plug-in hybrid vehicles are outfitted with a 19.6 kWh (internet) battery that may energy them in battery solely mode for as much as 100 km (assuming the motive force remembers to plug them in).
Courtesy of Volkswagen
In a press launch, the corporate says, “This distance turns the brand new Passat Variant into an electrical automobile for on a regular basis life. That is moreover ensured by quick charging occasions because the battery can now be charged at AC cost factors with 11 kW as an alternative of the earlier 3.6 kW. The Passat Variant eHybrid may even be charged with as much as 50 kW at DC quick charging stations. As well as, the mix of electrical drive motor and new economical turbocharged petrol engine (1.5 TSI evo2) offers general ranges of round 1,000 km.
Courtesy of Volkswagen
Keep in mind the long-lasting Volkswagen business in regards to the two dudes who take a Passat TDI sedan on a street journey and taught themselves tips on how to communicate fluent Spanish by the point they need to cease to refuel? It’s time for a remake.
Volkswagen is positioning the brand new Passat Variant PHEV as one thing of a grand touring machine. “The quiet and spacious Passat Variant gives a excessive degree of journey consolation and might be optionally obtainable with new adaptive chassis management known as DCC Professional and new ergoActive seats that supply a pneumatic strain level therapeutic massage characteristic.” The automobile additionally has a completely digital dashboard with linked know-how. An obtainable assisted driving mode takes the stress out of lengthy distance journey.
The place Is The Battery Electrical Volkswagen Variant?
Why go to all this bother to supply a plug-in hybrid? Why not simply provide folks a battery powered wagon? Really, Volkswagen intends to just do that when it introduces the ID.7 Tourer in a number of years. The ID.7 sedan and the Tourer might be manufactured on the Emden manufacturing unit, which is the place the Passat was made beforehand. The Passat sedan is being discontinued and manufacturing of the Variant will transfer to a manufacturing unit in Bratislavia.
“The newest evolutionary stage of the modular MQB evo kinds the extremely modern technical foundation of the ninth Passat era,” says Kai Grünitz, VW Model board member for technical improvement. “Because of the numerous economies of scale of the MQB evo, Volkswagen has once more democratized quite a few high-tech developments and made them obtainable for a whole bunch of hundreds of drivers.”
The brand new Passat Variant is anticipated in showrooms in early 2024. No costs have been introduced as of but.
The Takeaway
Why are we waxing eloquent a few plug-in hybrid? As a result of it might simply be the bridge that’s wanted between typical combustion engine automobiles and absolutely electrical fashions. CleanTechnica readers are all in on EVs, naturally, however there are nonetheless loads of people on the market on this planet who aren’t but able to decide to driving a automobile powered solely by batteries.
Allow them to get a style of vehicles like this, vehicles that may run silently for as much as 60 miles, vehicles that replenish their batteries with regenerative braking, vehicles that infrequently cease at a gasoline pump, don’t want frequent oil adjustments, and may make a set of brake pads final 50,000 miles or extra.
Allow them to expertise the pure pleasure of driving on electrons with out worrying about the place the following charging station could also be. Chances are high 98 out of 100 drivers who get to expertise all that can make a battery electrical automobile their subsequent automobile subsequent time round. That’s an excellent factor.
Personally, I like station wagons. At all times have. If somebody informed me I used to be condemned to drive a ninth era Passat Variant PHEV for the remainder of my life, I might assume I gained the lottery. It appears to be like good in an understated method with fastidiously massaged styling that speaks of refinement, energy, and style. I hope Volkswagen sells boatloads of them.
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