Volkswagen will launch the new Passat GTE with an enhanced plug-in hybrid drive as both saloon and estate models.
The combination of electric motor and petrol engine brings great benefits: On the one hand, the GTE models with their combination of electric drive motor and efficient turbocharged petrol engine (160 kW / 218 PS system power) provide the benefits of a long-distance vehicle. On the other, they can be used as a zero-emission vehicle in the urban environment.
The Passat GTE always starts in E-MODE if the lithium-ion battery is sufficiently charged. The high-voltage battery in the Passat GTE models can be charged via the external electricity grid or via the internal TSI engine and recuperation during the journey.
In order to be able to travel in E-MODE in town at the end of a longer trip, Volkswagen has reconfigured the operating modes of the hybrid system and therefore simplified battery recharging during the journey. Instead of the previous five operating modes, there are now only three:
– E-MODE (purely electric driving)
– GTE (sporty driving with full system power)
– Hybrid (automatic switchover between electric motor and TSI)
– The two previous modes Battery Hold (maintaining battery charge level) and Battery Charge (charge battery via TSI) were integrated into the Hybrid mode in the new Passat GTE.
The new Passat GTE is powered by a turbo-charged stratified injection engine (1.4 TSI) and an electric motor. This TSI engine delivers 115 kW / 156 PS. The electric motor generates precisely 85kW / 115 PS. The new high-voltage battery – located in the vehicle floor in front of the rear axle – supplies the electric motor with power. For power transmission, the Volkswagen is equipped with an automatic 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DQ400E) developed especially for use in hybrid vehicles. Other components of the hybrid drive include power electronics (this converts the battery’s direct current into alternating current for the electric motor) and the battery charger.
