It seems the entire Volkswagen empire is rediscovering the fuel cell; shortly after Audi took the wraps off it A7 Sportback h-tron hydrogen fuel cell plug-in vehicle, VW rolled its Golf SportWagen HyMotion into the Los Angeles Convention Centre.
Also claiming a 500 kilometre range on a tankful of lighter-than-air hydrogen, VW claims the 134 horsepower electrified Golf can accelerate to 100 kilometres an hour in just 10 seconds and can be refueled in the same three minutes as a conventional gasoline-fueled car.
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The purpose of the HyMotion — besides showcasing emissions-free motoring — says Volkswagen is to show how its small MQB platform can accommodate alternative drivetrains. Besides the company’s traditional gasoline and diesel fueled engines, the Golf platform now also incorporating the e-Golf electric vehicle and the plug-in hybrid Golf GTE. Indeed, the company says that no interior room was sacrificed in the switch over to the fuel cell powertrain because the MQB was designed from the outset to accommodate multiple powertrain configurations. The hydrogen in this case is stored in high-pressure (10,150 psi) carbon fibre tanks in the platform floor and the electric motor is the same as powers the electric e-Golf.
