Volkswagen's Diesels To Visit AltWheels Festival

By Anthony Fontanelle

Automakers like Toyota and Honda are focusing on the development of gas-electric hybrid vehicle as their response to the increasing call for cleaner cars. American automakers like Ford and General Motors also manufacture hybrid vehicles. But in Europe, automakers are focusing on the development of new generation diesel engines which are made to be as clean as gasoline engines. One of the automakers paving the way for the development of diesel vehicles is Volkswagen.

The biggest European automaker Volkswagen is making huge strides in the development and manufacturing of clean diesel engines. The diesel-powered Volkswagen Polo Blue Motion was found out to be the greenest vehicle in the United Kingdom. Volkswagen's Audi is also making huge steps forward especially in the promotion of diesel engines with its two straight victories at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans with a diesel powered race car. In the United States, Volkswagen has embarked on a Dieselution Tour in an aim to educate the general public on the benefits of clean diesel engines to the environment.

The Dieselution Tour will be making a stop at the AltWheels Alternative Transportation and Energy Festival on September 28 to 29 in Boston, Massachusetts. The AltWheels festival will be the Dieselution's first public stop. The people behind the Tour will be using interactive displays and exhibits to point out the growing concern for the protection of the environment. The exhibits will also feature how the automaker designed their advanced diesel engines and all its parts like the Volkswagen glow plug Duraterm, and other for-diesel engine components.

The Dieselution Tour will be going across the United States and making stops at events and displaying the company's diesel technology. They will spend four months on the road and the biggest event that they will be making a stop in is during the 2008 Super Bowl. The Dieselution Tour will also be making stops at auto shows across the country.

"Volkswagen of America considers the Dieselution Tour an important informational resource for everyone concerned about the environment and improved fuel economy standards," said Keith Price, Public Relations Manager for Product and Technology at Volkswagen of America. He further said that this tour is aimed to change the perception of many American consumers whose view of a diesel engine is that of diesel engines in the 80s which produces a lot of soot and noise. "We want to show Americans that today's clean diesel technology is a quantum leap from the powerplants introduced nearly 30 years ago. This tour aims to change any outdated perceptions about diesel technology," said Price.

In the end, this tour is about bringing consumers to Volkswagen dealership. With gasoline priced higher than diesel, consumers need just a bit more persuasion to give diesels a chance. And that persuasion is what the Dieselution Tour brings to the table. "As the diesel car sales leader in the United States, we have worked hard to make our diesels cleaner, quieter and more fuel efficient," said Price. "Once consumers realize that a clean diesel alternative can improve their fuel economy by nearly 35 percent over comparable gasoline engines, we're confident that many drivers will visit their local Volkswagen dealerships."

VW, German Society For Nature Conservation NABU Join Frankfurt Auto Show

By Anthony Fontanelle

Volkswagen AG and the German Society for Nature Conservation NABU joined up for the first time at the International Auto Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. This is an effort to protect both the climate and the environment.

This year’s Frankfurt Auto Show, the world’s largest, is putting emphasis on the protection of the environment due to the alarming global warming issues. Moreover, it is only coherent to present the long-standing successful partnership between Europe’s biggest auto manufacturer and Germany’s largest environmental organization to a public interested in vehicles and the environment.

“Protecting the environment has become a global challenge. Wherever we look - design, climate technology or packaging, sensor technology and architecture, material development, micro- and nano-technology – researchers and developers take their lead from nature, just as we do in the automotive industry. In this sense, biodiversity also has an economic value. That is one reason why our cooperation with NABU is so important for Volkswagen,” said Stephan Grühsem, the Head of Group Communications, commenting on the automaker’s commitment.

The Wolfsburg, Germany-based automaker and NABU were already organizing free fuel saving training sessions throughout their territory. This is done well before the present climate protection debate got underway. During sessions, a team of professional trainers teach driving license holders how to drive their vehicles the modern and efficient way. It is possible to save up to 25 percent fuel without slowing down drive times, good news for the climate and the household budget, Auto Racing Daily reported. Furthermore, the mobility dialog discussion platform has become a firm feature of the political events calendar.

“Not all that glitters at auto shows is worth its weight in environmental gold, but we believe that Volkswagen’s high-efficiency models are a big step in the right direction,” Miller said. “They demonstrate that climate-friendly cars can be found in almost every vehicle class without considerable additional cost."

For quite a while now, it is not only wolves that are crossing borders to re-migrate to Germany – the NABU “Willkommen Wolf!” information campaign is also drawing global awareness. “Our aim is to rectify the stereotype image of the big bad wolf, and to show that wolves and humans can coexist peacefully. Volkswagen has given valuable support to this information initiative,” said Leif Miller, NABU director.

The BlueMotion series, which now includes nine models, is one focus of Volkswagen’s presence at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The Polo BlueMotion with carbon dioxide emissions of a mere 99 grams per kilometer introduced the series a year ago.

The Volkswagen Polo BlueMotion is Europe's most economical five-seat product line that offers the equivalent of 60 miles per gallon. The key to its fuel efficiency is the optimization of an already economical package. Also, incorporation of longer ratio gears in the standard five-speed manual transmission, lower rolling resistance 165/70 R14 tires, and application-specific light weight alloy wheels, all contribute to an enhanced mileage.

The lightweight body structure has improved aerodynamics at the same time boost its efficiency. The vehicle also uses refined auto parts like the Volkswagen tie rod end, radiator, filter, engine, brakes, and more. The Polo BlueMotion provides consumers the "fun to drive" element inherent in the DNA of Volkswagen without compromising safety and functionality.

The Polo BlueMotion is the first model to be introduced under the automaker’s BlueMotion sustainability initiative aimed at producing low-emissions and fuel efficient vehicles at reasonable prices.