Porsche 2012 Annual Report Download - page 108

good starting point for efficient vehicle propulsion
now and in the future. They can be combined with
electrical components on a modular basis to pro-
duce hybrid drives. Plug-in versions of these vehi-
cles can be recharged via electrical outlets and –
depending on the model concerned – can cover
between 20 and 80 km in purely electric mode.
When it comes to drive electrification, hybrids –
and particularly plug-in hybrids – are a core topic for
the Volkswagen group, since these are currently the
best way of supplementing petrol and diesel en-
gines. They combine the benefits of two technolo-
gies and hence meet a number of customer expec-
tations: an unlimited range thanks to their combus-
tion engines, an attractive electric drive unit for day-
to-day urban use, no restrictions on speed, hill-
climbing ability, or trailer loads and substantial
potential for reducing CO2 emissions. As a result,
the Volkswagen group is mounting a major new
push for this technology, a key element of which is
its integration into the modular toolkit strategy. This
underscores the importance of e-mobility within the
group, giving it a firm, long-term place in its product
strategy. Combined drives are already available
today in a large number of vehicle classes in the
form of the hybrid versions of the Jetta, Touareg,
Audi Q5, Audi A6, Audi A8, Porsche Cayenne S and
Porsche Panamera S models.
Volkswagen will also ring in the age of pure-
play e-mobility in 2013 with the market launch of
the e-up! and then the e-Golf. The Volkswagen
group’s brands performed extensive international
fleet trials with purely electric vehicles and a large
number of different customer groups in the fiscal
year 2012 and were able to optimize the technology,
its suitability for daily use and user requirements for
later series production. At present, for example, ten
ŠKODA Octavia Green E Line vehicles are in use at a
number of customers in the Czech Republic. How-
ever, a number of challenges still have to be mas-
tered before electric vehicles can be launched onto
the wider market. Developing high-performance
batteries and building up technological expertise in
the area of battery chemistry are both vital to in-
creasing the range and hence the attractiveness of
electric vehicles. Another challenge is integrating
electric cars into the existing infrastructure. A large
number of questions still needs to be answered
together with the government, municipal authorities
and utilities with respect to the recharging strategy
to be adopted (“smart grid”), how to construct an
end-to-end infrastructure, particularly of rapid
charging stations, and how to book charging points
and bill the electricity provided. In the Volkswagen
group’s opinion, the intelligent combination of the
automotive, power generation and telecommunica-
tions sectors offers the opportunity to ease the
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Group management report
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