Porsche 2009 Annual Report Download - page 68

series projects. This is the only way a substantial con-
tribution can be made to reducing CO2 emissions and
operating costs in the long term. After aluminum and
ultra-high-strength steels, carbon-fiber composites
and magnesium offer the most potential for light-
weight construction. Inspiration is provided by the
fields of aerospace research and motorsports. The
Volkswagen group is the frontrunner among auto-
makers worldwide in lightweight construction and will
hold a strong position in the future thanks to the
group brands’ different concepts for lightweight con-
struction.
Volkswagen plays a leading role in the “Su-
perLIGHT car project”, a project funded by the Euro-
pean Commission in which a total of 37 partners have
joined forces. The results are compelling: an intelli-
gent mix of aluminum, steel, magnesium and plastic
made it possible to reduce the weight of the body in
white of a mid-sized sedan by around 35 percent.
In 2009, Volkswagen stepped up its coopera-
tion with several experienced battery manufacturers
and the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Univer-
sity of Münster to promote the development of bat-
tery systems for hybrid drives and electric vehicles.
Porsche Intelligent Performance
The performance of Porsche vehicles is
based on intelligent and innovative ideas for efficient
engines, excellent aerodynamics and high-quality
lightweight construction – for more power in conjunc-
tion with lower fuel consumption and emissions. This
is what Porsche means by Intelligent Performance.
This philosophy was already put into practice
in first Porsche 356, which combined light weight and
high performance with low fuel consumption. This is
the “genetic code” shared by all subsequent Porsche
models. Today, the environmental impact of vehicles
is an increasingly important factor. As a move to-
wards further reductions in CO2 emissions, Porsche
will look into new concepts, including vehicles pow-
ered entirely by electricity.
Lightweight construction reduces emissions
Lightweight construction is one of the ideas
driving the Volkswagen group’s efforts to cut CO2
emissions. All the same, customers’ space and com-
fort demands as well as the legal requirements such
as new pedestrian protection regulations must be met.
Volkswagen views lightweight construction as a stra-
tegic core competency that can be utilized in vehicle
manufacturing to reduce CO2 emissions. As the inven-
tor of the Audi Space Frame, the group’s Audi brand
is leading the way in implementation of lightweight
construction in the premium segment. The Volks-
wagen passenger cars brand uses high- and ultra-
high-strength steels for affordable lightweight con-
struction in the volume segment. Modern body shells
are now much lighter than those of predecessor
models and offer greater comfort and safety. Going
forward, the focus will therefore be increasingly on
combining available lightweight construction tech-
nologies and implementing them affordably in large-
68 Group management report