SEAT has produced a hybrid diesel/electric prototype based on the Leon using the Volkswagen Group’s Twin Drive plug-in hybrid powertrain. The technology, which was first displayed in a Mark V Golf hatch and then again in the new Mark VI model, will now be tested in an urban environment together with the Spanish government.
The prototype uses an electric motor designed for city driving and a TDI engine for longer trips. Certain elements such as the gearbox, brakes, heating and cooling systems, as well as many of the electronic components, have also been modified.
The electric motor is powered by a group of lithium-ion batteries located at the rear of the vehicle. These provide sustainable power of 35kW and a restricted top speed of 62mph. On electric power alone the hybrid can travel a total distance of 31 miles. Beyond 31 miles, the car’s highly-efficient internal combustion engine kicks in, supplying the power for longer journeys and motorway travel and allowing the electric motor to be used exclusively for shorter urban trips. To ensure the cars are true zero-emissions vehicles, the electrical energy required to charge the batteries under the trial will be generated from renewable resources such as wind and hydro power.
Volkswagen is also conducting a trial of the Twin Drive system together with the German government. The company will test a fleet of 20 Twin Drive Golfs later this year as part of a new scheme investigating the future of personal mobility. Both companies expect to have the first production models ready for public sale around 2014.
The prototype was unveiled at the SEAT Technical Centre by Erich Schmitt, chairman of SEAT, and Francisco García Sanz chairman of SEAT’s board of directors and a member of Volkswagen’s executive committee. Addressing an audience of dignitaries including Antoni Soy, the Catalan government (Generalitat)’s Secretary for Industry and Business, Sanz highlighted the importance of this vehicle in terms of not only the environment; but the future of the company.
“Whereas half-way through the last century we made a decisive contribution to putting a whole generations on wheels, today, 50 years on, we also want to be leading players at the beginning of a process of development and industrialization of this type of car, which combines an electric power unit with an internal combustion engine.”
Sanz also underlined the need to involve all stakeholders in order to guarantee sustainable driving in the future: “Product technology by itself is no guarantee for success,” he said, “the implication of electricity utility companies as well as the clear support from governments is crucial in order to assure mobility and autonomy for the users.”