Volkswagen TwinDrive - The People's Plug-in

[Bravada]

I won't discuss the "superiority" of either system. I am looking at it from the business POV. The complex setup of having the ICE engine drive the axle is actually what you encounter in most cars. VW just adds a fancy coupling (where I suspect they are using someof their experience/technology from DSG) and the electric motor(s). They are not designing the car's driveline from the ground up, they are trying to engineer something it would be easy to pack in a production Golf as another option to your regular petroleum or diesel engines.

This actually might put them into spotlight - while Toyota, Honda, and now GM will offer "special" hybrid cars, VW might come on top as the one offering the hybrid option accross the line of REGULAR vehicles. So that you don't have to go for the quirky roofline of the Prius or its handling-cancelling tires, not to mention an image that is bound to get out of style soon, as it is with every fad, but you still get the mileage and other benefits in certain conditions where they apply.

[Masospaghetti]

^ There's no reason GM's E-Flex can't do the same thing. On the contrary, I would argue that the E-Flex is easier to adapt to new vehicle designs because 1) it has fewer components (no axles, gear reductions, or clutch packs) and 2) the motor can be located independantly of the electrical drivetrain, which is not the case of VW's system.

[baloo]

Originally Posted by Masospaghetti

My point was that, when VW's system directly connects the engine and wheels together, its likely to be only marginally more efficient (if at all) with the added complexity of having a gear reducer, clutch or torque converter, and axles.

A clutch is lossless and the Volt needs axles too, so the only difference is the gear reduction, and that's very efficient.

[benroethig]

I'd like to see this system on the new north american compact and midsize sedans.