Following the company’s Passat TSI EcoFuel wagon concept, Volkswagen has released a sedan version of the high-mileage platform. The Passat EcoFuel sedan concept made its debut at the Bologna Motor Show and is capable of running on gasoline and natural gas.
At the heart of the EdoFuel sedan is a supercharged and turbocharged 1.4L TSI powerplant, developing a healthy 150 horsepower. However, in order to handle the extra power of burning natural gas, the engine has been reinforced with upgraded valves, piston rings and pistons. In addition, VW also downsized the 1.4L’s turbo.
Thanks new engine management control system, the Passat EcoFuel can switch seamlessly between fuel sources.
Natural gas is stored in three tanks under the rear half of the car, with a total capacity of 22kg. A 31L gas tank is also aboard, giving the Passat EcoFuel a total range of 500 miles. The EcoFuel sedan consumes 4.5kg of natural gas every 100 km, which translates roughly into 52 mpg.
The EcoFuel sedan can accelerate from 0-60 in just under 10 seconds – on its way to a top speed of 130 mpg – so it wouldn’t be unrealistic to use for daily driving duties. VW hasn’t announced when it expects to put its EcoFuel technology into a road-going vehicle, but with pending emissions standards, we suspect it will be sooner rather than later.
12/03, 1:20 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Sounds like a mechanical nightmare of Freddy Krueger proportions. In this instance, I’d wait for the sequel.
12/03, 1:21 PM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
Until it is past the “concept” phase I simply don’t care.
12/03, 1:24 PM
posted by:
pelzauto
“… on its way to a top speed of 130 mpg…”
Maybe m p hour?
12/03, 1:42 PM
posted by:
Borat
I think there was BMW 7 series model running on gas and gasoline. I think it is over-engineering: they have small diesel for this car already and it is all over Europe. I failed to see single gasoline powered Passat in any of old countries.
12/03, 1:49 PM
posted by:
A4
apparently, pelzauto, lln is getting hot flashes about fuel economy
12/03, 1:57 PM
posted by:
cjblair
“Thanks new engine management control system…”
Insert “to the” after thanks, perhaps?
And 130mpg is an efficient top speed, but how fast is it?
Sheesh.
12/03, 5:26 PM
posted by:
jaypetter
ok, hello to everybody! Im from argentina, i study mechanical engeneering, and i wanted to say that natural gas is used here in my country since the early 90’s.
its not very efficient but its cheap (in the short term). many cars can be easyly converted so as to use a mixture of Ngas and gasoline. but the problem comes along in the long term, Ngas generates much more temperature when its burnt, and its also much drier so it doesnt lubricate the inside of the cylinders as well as gasoline. as a concequence you end up with an engine that is always running with a very high temperature. So it needs lots of maintenance. Not to mention the heavy tanks at the back that will consume storage space, and remember also that weight spoils everything.
It does not improve performance, engines tend to be less responsive, and they loose lots of torques…
here, Ngas is used in taxis, and people that have a low budget. and if the people from VW want to learn more about it, they should come to Argentina where there is a long experience regarding Ngas.