WOLFSBURG, Germany - Volkswagen's hybrid-vehicle programs have been put under the microscope by Martin Winterkorn, VW AG's new chairman.

The chances of hybrid variants of the Golf, Jetta and Touran coming to market soon have sunk rapidly under VW's new management. Winterkorn succeeded Bernd Pischetsrieder on Jan. 1.

Company sources tell Automobilwoche that Winterkorn is looking skeptically at sales projections for VW's planned hybrids.

Forecasts for the hybrid version of the Touran minivan, to be badged as the Highbrid, are "far too low," company insiders say he has told planners.

Given the price sensitivity in the compact segment and the high cost of hybrid drive relative to a standard engine, "the hybrid business case doesn't work out, no matter how you look at it," one VW executive says.

The executive estimates the price premium for a hybrid drive at 2,000 euros minimum, or about $2,580.

Pischetsrieder had announced plans for a Jetta powered by a mild hybrid for the 2008 model year, initially with the United States in mind.

A mild hybrid uses an electric motor to give the internal combustion engine a boost, but the electric motor does not provide full power.

The hybrid version of the Touareg SUV remains on track, sources say. Based on current plans, the recently updated SUV will be the first regular-production VW with hybrid drive. It is slated to be available in late 2008.

Reviewing Rabbit's revisions

Winterkorn is also ordering a reworking of the design of the next VW Golf, known as the Rabbit in the United States. The changes probably will delay the planned 2008 introduction of the hatchback by up to six months.

Winterkorn thinks the design of the new Golf - done while Wolfgang Bernhard was VW brand chief - is "too progressive." In particular, Winterkorn wants to tone down the large air intakes to avoid putting off conservative Golf buyers.

Winterkorn has asked new VW group design chief Walter de' Silva to alter the design of the company's top-selling model.

The new Golf was scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2008. A high-level VW manager said the launch will be delayed "because of the design revision."

Dresdner Kleinwort automotive analyst Arndt Ellinghorst wrote in a report that VW could lose 90,000 Golf sales by delaying the launch until the third or fourth quarter of 2008.

As a cost-reducing measure, power steering won't be offered, but ABS, satellite navigation, and a sunroof will be available.

Although Ford may be putting its U.S. clean diesel plans on hold, Volkswagen is moving full steam ahead with its U.S. diesel plans. The German automaker recently launched its Jetta TDI clean diesel in the Sates, and a new report indicates at least one more diesel VW sedan is destine for the U.S.

Moreover, VW’s U.S. diesel plans will likely see the automaker producing a new diesel-powered sedan at the company’s new Chattanooga, Tennessee production plant. In an interview with the Chattanooga Daily, VW’s U.S. head, Stefan Jacoby, revealed that the company will produce a diesel-powered version of a new mid-size sedan – intended to compete with the likes of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord – at the company’s Tennessee plant.

“We don’t see any conflict between business and the economy and the environment,” he said.

VW will also produce a smaller version of the Jetta at the Tennessee plant – which will do battle with the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic – so it remains possible that it could also wind up with a diesel option.

Jacoby also suggested that VW could launch a diesel-hybrid powertrain in the coming years, but failed to give any more details on the project. However, he promised that the new technology would be “at the forefront” of low emissions tech.

The Chattanooga plant is scheduled to begin production in 2011, but now word on when the new diesel model will start rolling off the production line.

The International Thermoelectric Society website reported that Volkswagen showed a prototype vehicle equipped with a thermoelectric generator, recovering the dissipated heat energy and converting it into electricity. The prototype has been shown at the “Thermoelektrik - Eine Chance Für Die Atomobillindustrie?” meeting held in Berlin in October 2008.



Purportedly the thermoelectric generator is able to gain about 600W from a car running on a highway, meeting about 30% of the car’s electrical consumption requirements. For the moment, the thermoelectric generators haven’t been embedded in a hybrid car, although VW says with the current setup it can save about 5% of your fuel consumption (not 5L/100km, but 5% of 5L).

BMW and DLR (German Aerospace) also competed with Volkswagen by showing a system with a 200W output. They say it has been used for more than 12,000 km. They are both integrating TEGs with future gasoline powertrains. BMW even has them in their plan for the 2010 - 2014 Series 5 cars.

Toshiba and Volkswagen on Thursday unveiled a partnership to develop next-generation battery systems for electric cars.

For the Japanese conglomerate, the VW deal is just its latest green tech move. Though known in the United States mainly for its laptop computers, Toshiba is the General Electric (GE) of Japan - it makes everything from consumer electronics to medical devices to nuclear power plant components.

In January, Toshiba announced that it was getting into the solar power plant business to build photovoltaic farms for utilities. The company also said it would install carbon-capture technology at a coal-fired power plant in Japan as part of a pilot project.

But its development of advanced battery technology could have the biggest impact. Toshiba’s Super Charge ion Battery, or SCiB, can charge to 90% capacity in ten minutes, depending on its use, according to the company. Laptop versions of the SCiB can be discharged 6,000 times versus 500 times for a conventional battery. Larger versions of the battery are used to power electric bicycles and industrial equipment like forklifts. The real breakthrough will come if the SCiB can be adapted for electric cars.

“One of our big target markets is the automobile market,” Craig Hershberg, Toshiba’s director of environmental affairs, told Green Wombat. “We’re currently talking to one of the big automakers in the U.S.”

He declined to name the car company but General Motors (GM), Ford (F) and Chrysler have all accelerated electric car programs as have Toyota (TM) and Honda (HMC). Those talks probably will get a boost from the stimulus bill passed this week that gives a $7,500 tax credit to consumers who purchase plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.

The company is building a SCiB factory in Japan and is also exploring the potential of the SCiB to store electricity generated by solar power plants and wind farms.

“Toshiba aims to make SCiB a mainstay of its industrial systems and automotive products businesses worldwide,” the company said in a statement.

Simplifying the debate between in-dash navigation systems and aftermarket portable units, Volkswagen has announced the launch of a new navigation system in conjunction with Garmin. Dubbed “Click & Ride”, the new system combines the best features of an in-dash nav system with the conveniences of a portable device.

Unlike typical OEM navigation units, VW’s “Click & Ride” navigation system uses a Garmin-supplied portable nüvi unit. The dealer-installed “Click & Ride” option also includes an integration kit, which does away with the suction cup mount and power cord usually associated with portable GPS devices.

The Garmin nüvi is installed on the dashboard just to the left of the steering wheel. All wires are discretely routed under the dashboard and connect to the back of the car’s radio. Thanks to that radio connection all directions can be given over the car’s speakers – the system even features a radio mute – and the optional Bluetooth kit offers hands-free calling.

The Garmin nüvi can be disconnected from its mount and be used like a typical portable unit. Moreover the entire system is only affixed with glue, meaning it can be moved to a new vehicle without any damage. VW has yet to announcing pricing for the “Click & Ride” system.

Although “Click & Ride” sounds like a terrific GPS alternative, it won’t be available in the U.S. – at least not yet. As of now, “Click & Ride” is only scheduled for a European rollout, be we suspect it will be making the trek across the pond in the coming months.