Volkswagen is using the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show to stake a daring claim to become the leader in electric car production and sales by 2018. To do that, it's not only going to have to leap-frog the likes of Renault-Nissan, which has a four-year head start and a €4 billion investment, it's also going to have to convince thus-far sceptical buyers that electric cars are right for them.
"We are starting at exactly the right time. We are electrifying all vehicle classes, and therefore have everything we need to make the Volkswagen Group the top automaker in all respects, including electric mobility, by 2018" Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen said at the Group's traditional Frankfurt show-eve media event.
"We have the most comprehensive approach to tomorrow's mobility. From highly-efficient, eco-friendly diesel, gasoline and natural gas-fuelled engines to classical hybrids, purely battery-driven vehicles and plug-in hybrids - no other automaker can match the broad range we have to offer.
"The electric car cannot be a compromise on wheels, it must convince customers in every respect." He said that environmental compatibility and sustainability were increasingly becoming the main purchasing criterion: "From the zero- emission city car, through the plug-in hybrid all-rounder to the three-litre sports saloon: it is our customers who decide for themselves just how much e-mobility they want."
Initially, Volkswagen plans to offer 14 electric or hybrid vehicles, but not all cars will be available in all markets. The first models to make it on sale will be the all-electric e-Golf and e-up!, the plug-in hybrid Audi A3 e-tron and the plug-in hybrid Porsche Panamera. Electrifying or hybridising its fleet will be a key cornerstone of Volkswagen's promise to meet the EU's 2020 target of 95g/km average CO2 emissions without using the get-out clause of super-credits, which allow car makers to count electric zero-emissions vehicles as double against high-emissions cars when calculating their averages.
Volkswagen is putting serious money and manpower behind its electric vehicle drive. Some 400 EV experts have recently been recruited by the company, while 70,000 development, production and service engineers have already begun passing internal training programmes.
According to Winterkorn, anyone who genuinely takes ecological responsibility seriously goes one step further: "We must have a holistic mindset and a comprehensive approach to mobility - from generating energy through development, production, retail and vehicle operation right down to recycling. Our clear goal, therefore, is to lead with holistic, modern mobility concepts."
Anything else?
Yes, as part of its electrical push, Volkswagen has released possibly the cutest delivery van you've ever seen. It's called the e-load up!, and while it's a concept for now, it could potentially make production as part of Volkswagen's electric commercial vehicles fleet. The idea behind the e-load up! is that it could serve as an urban delivery vehicle for couriers, service technicians and even pizza delivery. Its tiny 3.5-metre turning circle makes it potentially ideal for such roles, and increasing demands for pollution-free city centres could yet make it a necessity. It uses an 82hp electric motor (which effectively delivers 55hp at the wheels) with 210Nm of torque, accelerates from 0-100km/h in 12.4 seconds and has a top speed of 135km/h. A single charge of the lithium-ion batteries gets you a claimed 160-kilometre touring range. Amazingly, it has a 1,400-litre load space and can carry up to a 306kg load.