Volkswagen gets electric
Going green is the trend in the automotive scene. Volkswagen has taken a big leap to join the bandwagon as it introduces the space up! blue fuel cell concept. This Volkswagen vehicle can get to 65 miles by using the combination of an electric motor, lithium-ion batteries and a solar panel.
The third of the Volkswagen’s up! the space up! blue is a micro van that capable to carry more load. The difference is that this variant features a rear-mounted, all-electric 45 kW (61 PS) motor along with twelve lithium-ion batteries and “a large solar panel on the roof that feeds up to 150 Watts of extra energy into the battery.”
65 miles can easily be achieved when the space up! blue is fully charged, but this number can reach to 155 miles once the high-temperature fuel cell (HT-FC) is used.
In the report done by BusinessWeek, Volkswagen said that the new HT-FC system has greater advantage than other fuel systems, such as lower weight, greater everyday utility and lower cost.
The space up! blue is 144.9 inches long and “weighs 1,090 kilograms including the fuel cell and batteries.” The high temperature fuel cell can be found in front of the car, while the lithium-ion batteries are under the rear seat near the motor.
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/dec2007/bw20071211_614856.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_autos