Porsche 2011 Annual Report Download - page 67

Volkswagen commercial vehicles presented
the Multivan BlueMotion* – a fuel economy giant in
the van segment. At 6.4 liters of diesel/100 km, its
fuel economy rating is uniquely low for this vehicle
class. Derivatives of the Caddy* and the Caddy
Maxi* with BiFuel engines round off the offering of
fuel-efficient commercial vehicles. In the pickup seg-
ment, the Amarok range was expanded to include a
single-cab version with a larger loading space. The
revised Crafter offers a compelling mix of high-torque,
extremely efficient engines, a higher payload and
modern interior and exterior design.
Following the introduction of the V8 series in
2010, Scania now has the technical solutions and the
engine platform required to meet the Euro 6 emis-
sions standard that will enter into force at the end of
2013. Scania presented the 324 kW (440 hp) and
353 kW (480 hp) Euro 6 engines in fiscal year 2011.
MAN is systematically expanding its offering of speci-
fication packages that contribute to greater transport
efficiency.
Pooling strengths with strategic alliances
Cooperative development arrangements with
other vehicle producers are especially well-suited for
tapping new market segments in a cost-effective way.
In a strategic collaboration, investment expenditures
can be distributed among the partners and develop-
ment costs can be kept low thanks to the concentra-
tion of expertise and competencies. In this context,
Volkswagen continued the existing cooperation ar-
rangements in 2011 with Porsche AG, Daimler AG
and the Chrysler group.
The Volkswagen group has also continued
and intensified cooperation with a number of expert
battery manufacturers in 2011. This allows Volks-
wagen to support the development of high-voltage
battery systems for hybrid drives and electric vehi-
cles. In 2010, Volkswagen and its partner VARTA
Microbattery GmbH in Ellwangen established
VOLKSWAGEN VARTA Microbattery Forschungsge-
sellschaft mbH & Co. KG. Its purpose is to research
and develop battery cells suitable for cars as well as
the associated production technology. The Volks-
wagen group is also continuing to expand its exper-
tise in the field of electric traction in cooperation with
many universities such as the Institute of Physical
Chemistry at the University of Münster.
High-end synthesis of successful hybrid
concepts
At the Detroit Auto Show 2011, Porsche pre-
sented the 918 RSR – a high-end synthesis of the
successful hybrid concepts of 2010. The mid-engined
918 RSR coupé combines the technology of the 911
GT3 R hybrid and the design of the 918 Spyder in a
leading-edge super sports car. The V8 engine is a
further development of the direct-injection engine
used in the successful RS Spyder racing car and
delivers an output of 563 hp in the 918 RSR. The
electric motors on the two front wheels each contrib-
ute 75 kW to the peak drive power of 767 hp.
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