Volkswagen’s cute E-UP and Touareg Hybrid (the latter to debut at the Geneva Motor Show) are the start of an avalanche of electric and hybrid vehicles from the Wolfsburg, Germany giant.
Next year Volkswagen will roll out a test fleet of 500 Golf models with electric drive and this will be followed with production versions of the Golf and Jetta from 2012.
The hybrid Jetta will be launched in North America early in ‘012 and the E-UP starts production in 2013. The Passat Hybrid is due in August 2013 followed two months later by the Golf Hybrid.
Volkswagen’s goal is to have three per cent of its entire production with electric motors by 2018.
While the electric car is already capable of covering distances up to 150 kilometers and Volkswagen is working on its E-mobility lineup, the company says in the mid-term, Hybrid vehicles are the key to market success and, with the need for electric and internal combustion engines to co-exit, Volkswagen will continue research to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
