Planned product measures

The Volkswagen Group’s goal is to offer consistently efficient and carbon-optimized mobility, including options based on alternative drive technologies, so as to live up to its responsibilities with respect to sustainability. Given the increasingly strict exhaust and emission standards and the fact that vehicle taxation is CO2-dependent, vehicle CO2 emissions are playing a more and more important role in vehicle purchases. Volkswagen is therefore continuing to focus in depth on developing efficient drive technologies, thus extending its position as an innovation leader in the area of environmentally friendly mobility.

We shall continue to drive forward the issues of downsizing and zero emissions in our products in the coming years. Downsizing increases material and energy efficiency by reducing drivetrain sizes while retaining their original performance. We are expanding our e-mobility operations – in the form of both plug-in hybrids and purely electric drives – on the basis of our in-depth research. Our current and future projects are improving the Volkswagen Group’s environmental footprint on an ongoing basis.

The Volkswagen Group’s many different concepts underscore the individual brands’ high level of development and diversification expertise. At the beginning of 2012, the Group became the first manufacturer to implement fuel-saving technology in series production of a charged four-cylinder engine with its cylinder management concept. The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand has consolidated its holistic ecological sustainability policy in its “Think Blue.” concept. This not only combines innovative technology and solutions such as the BlueMotion technologies, but also offers recommendations for reducing emissions and consumption, such as tips and training on how to save fuel. In addition to the BlueMotion vehicles, highly efficient technologies such as the BlueTDI and TSI EcoFuel drives (CNG) set standards for consumption and CO2 emissions. They leverage innovations such as hybrid/electric drives, start-stop systems and brake energy recuperation. Other Group brands such as ŠKODA’s GreenLine model range and SEAT’s ECOMOTIVE models also make use of this technology. Audi offers efficiency technologies as standard. This brand is also developing products such as the fully electronic e-tron vehicles and the natural gas-powered A3 g-tron, which are based on sustainable supply concepts.