Golf Blue-e-Motion proves its mettle in RAC Future Car Challenge
A pre-production Golf Blue-e-Motion electric vehicle has won its class in the RAC Future Car Challenge for the second time, using the least energy to cover a 57-mile route from Brighton’s Madeira Drive to Pall Mall in the heart of London. This year’s Challenge attracted a larger entry list than the inaugural event, including hybrids and fuel cell models as well as highly efficient diesel cars such as the Passat BlueMotion. The Golf was named the Most Energy Efficient Regular Car (Prototype) class.
Powered by lithium-ion batteries, the Golf Blue-e-Motion has an electric motor with a peak power output of 115 PS and a range of around 100 miles in normal conditions. It can reach a top speed of 86 mph and accelerate from rest to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds. The car features battery regeneration that can activate when the accelerator is released and during the initial travel of the brake pedal. This reduces the amount of energy that would otherwise be wasted during driving. Despite its unconventional motive power the Golf Blue-e-Motion appears like any other Golf with space for five adults and a slightly reduced boot volume of 279 litres.
The class-winning vehicle was piloted by Volkswagen engineer Folko Rohde, aided by co-driver Fabienne Kleinert, and is one of two Golf Blue-e-Motion models that took part in this year’s event. The second vehicle, which won the inaugural event last year, was the first car away from the start and was once again driven by Jim Holder, editor of Autocar magazine, and this time co-driven by Volkswagen engineer Eike Feldhusen.
The third Volkswagen entry, a production Passat BlueMotion, one of the most efficient and lowest-polluting internal combustion engined vehicles on sale today, was driven by motoring journalist Richard Aucock and Edd China, best known for his part in TV’s Wheeler Dealers, and the creator of the road-legal motorised sofa.
The Passat BlueMotion is powered by a 1.6-litre diesel engine producing 105 PS and employs a series of aerodynamic and mechanical changes to maximise the efficiency of the engine, giving it a combined fuel economy of 68.9 mpg and CO2 emissions of just 109 g/km.
On arrival in London on Saturday afternoon, the Golf Blue-e-Motions had their data recorders removed by the RAC scrutineers and then joined the Passat BlueMotion plus all the other competing vehicles for a display in the centre of London as part of the inaugural Regent Street Motor Show.
A production version of the Golf Blue-e-Motion is planned to be introduced to the market in late 2013. The Passat BlueMotion can be purchased now.
