Published

Natural Gas VW Up! Cuts CO2 Emissions

The natural gas-powered version of Volkswagen AG's Up! minicar emits only 79 g/km of carbon dioxide on the European test cycle, the company says.

Share

The natural gas-powered version of Volkswagen AG's Up! minicar emits only 79 g/km of carbon dioxide on the European test cycle, the company says.

Dubbed the Eco Up, the little four-seater went on sale in Europe earlier this month. VW unveiled a production version of the car at the Geneva auto show in March.

The vehicle is powered by a variant of the 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine VW developed for the standard Up. When fueled with natural gas, the aluminum powerplant produces 50 kW (67 hp) and 90 Nm (66 lb-ft) of torque. The car needs more than 16 seconds to reach 100 kph (62 mph) and can eventually reach a top speed of 164 kph (102 mph), according to the company.

Two under-floor tanks with combined NG capacity of 71 liters give the car a range of 380 km. VW says the car also can run on bio-methane.

The car is fitted with a 10-liter gasoline reserve tank that can be tapped to extend range by 220 km. The engine uses gasoline for startups at temperatures below -10 C (+14 F). The powerplant also burns gasoline briefly after the NG tanks are filled until it can determine the quality of the gas and adjust engine mapping accordingly.

RELATED CONTENT

  • Jeeps Modified for Moab

    On Easter morning in Moab, Utah, when the population of that exceedingly-hard-to-get-to town in one of the most beautiful settings on Earth has more than doubled, some people won’t be hunting for Easter eggs, but will be trying to get a good look at one of the vehicles six that Jeep has prepared for real-life, fast-feedback from the assembled at the annual Easter Jeep Safari.

  • Cobots: 14 Things You Need to Know

    What jobs do cobots do well? How is a cobot programmed? What’s the ROI? We asked these questions and more to four of the leading suppliers of cobots. 

  • Multiple Choices for Light, High-Performance Chassis

    How carbon fiber is utilized is as different as the vehicles on which it is used. From full carbon tubs to partial panels to welded steel tube sandwich structures, the only limitation is imagination.

Gardner Business Media - Strategic Business Solutions