Volkswagen stated that the Golf Blue-e-motion is now scheduled to hit the roads in 2014, a year later than was initially planned. Nonetheless, a 500-vehicle test fleet will start running in 2011.

The five-door, five-seat version of the concept car is driven by an electric motor capable of a maximum power of 85 kW/115 PS and maximum torque of 270 Nm. Further, it has a continuous power output of 50 kW/69 PS.

The electricity for powering the electric motor, which is integrated in the front engine compartment, is stored in a lithium-ion battery with an energy capacity of 26.5 kilowatt-hours. The concept car’s 30 battery modules, which consist of 180 lithium-ion cells, weigh a total of 315 kilograms.

The electric Golf can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.8 seconds. The company assures a range of around 150 kms depending on driving style and other factors like the use of the air conditioning and heating system. However, Volkswagen will announce final driving range of the production version at the car’s production launch which is expected to be significantly improved with the battery technology used then. Meanwhile, with the incumbent battery and Cd value of 0.295, the Golf blue-e-motion can do 135 km/hr.

The electric Golf can even coast or “sail” which occurs whenever the driver, adopting an anticipatory style of driving, releases the electric pedal. The motor is then controlled to the zero-torque curve so that the car can coast with the least possible drag and even recovers kinetically generated energy by battery regeneration. This is aided by dial-in regenerative braking.

There are four brake settings (D to D3) that can go from zero resistance to the setting that recovers the maximum amount of kinetic energy. Driving profile can be selected by the driver which prioritizes range, comfort and dynamics. The selected profile then pre-configures the power of the electric motor, air conditioning control, maximum speed and battery regeneration strategy.

Additionally, Volkswagen plans to launch electric vehicles namely the Up blue-e-motion, the Jetta blue-e-motion and the Lavida blue-e-motion versions in 2013.

via green.autoblog