Volkswagen has officially announced that its upcoming Golf 8 will be offered with a “cost-effective” 48V mild hybrid system.
In the eighth-generation Golf (production is expected to kick off in June 2019), Volkswagen says it will combine a traditional combustion engine with a 48V belt-integrated starter generator and a 48V battery.
This, says the Wolfsburg-based brand, will represent the “gateway to the future” of Volkswagen hybrid models.
The 48V mild hybrid makes it possible to “coast” with the combustion engine completely switched off, thereby saving up to 0,3 litres of fuel over 100 km. In addition, says VW, this mild-hybrid solution offers “much improved dynamics and convenience” as a result of providing an electric boost upon start-up.
“Electrifying conventional drives will enable us to further reduce consumption and emissions while also increasing dynamics and convenience”, said Dr Frank Welsch, member of the board of management for Volkswagen Passenger Cars with responsibility for technical development.
“We are starting this extensive electrification campaign with Volkswagen’s best-selling vehicle to date – the Golf. Our newly developed, cost-effective 48V mild hybrid will pave the way for introducing this type of technology to the mainstream,” Welsch added.
“The basic interaction of different energy sources – electricity, petrol, diesel and natural gas – represents a paradigm shift at Volkswagen. For the first time, the company will simultaneously offer product lines such as the Golf with conventional, electrically assisted drives as well as product lines such as the ID with purely electrical drives in the future”.
