2010 Volkswagen E-Lavida Concept

E-Workshop - Lavida blue-e-motion

Lavida blue-e-motion – Preview of an Electric Future in China

Shanghai Volkswagen presents first E-car developed in China

Electrically powered Lavida scheduled to launch in the near future

The Lavida is the first of the brand’s models to be completely developed in China by Shanghai Volkswagen. The elegant saloon is the fruition of the many successful years of cooperation between Chinese and German engineers and designers. The Lavida blue-e-motion that is now being shown represents the debut of the first electric car by Volkswagen Shanghai, which was also designed especially for China. The Lavida blue-e-motion is still a concept car, yet it will already appear on the market as a four-door in the near future. Before that, the new Up! and the world’s bestselling car, the Golf, will also debut as zero-emissions blue-e-motion models in 2013 in a wide range of countries.

Electric motor performance

The Lavida blue-e-motion is driven by an electric motor housed at the front of the car. The motor’s peak power is 85 kW / 115 PS (continuous power: 50 kW / 69 PS), and its maximum torque is 270 Newton-metres. Like the Golf blue-e-motion and Up! blue-e-motion also being shown in Shanghai, the zero-emissions Lavida shows very sporty driving performance. It is equal to that of the Golf blue-e-motion: The saloon accelerates from a stop to 100 km/h in just 11 seconds, while its top speed is limited to 130 km/h.

Lithium-ion battery

Of the 1,498 kilogram kerb weight of the Lavida (just 144 kilograms more than the production car), 315 kilograms are due to the 180 lithium-ion cells of the battery modules. The implemented 26.5 Kilowatt-hours (kWh) battery capacity is sufficient to cover up to 150 km, depending on driving style and weather conditions. The battery can be recharged from a 220/230 Volt household electrical outlet (in seven hours) or a 380/400 Volt grid connection (in 3.5 hours). Generally, the car is recharged overnight and/or at a parking space at work. Refuelled in this way, the E-Lavida can travel up to 100 km for less than ten RMB (Chinese currency; CNY / ¥). By the way, the connector for recharging the battery can be found at the usual place: behind the fuelling door.

As in the Golf blue-e-motion, the batteries in the Lavida were integrated in the bootspace floor, under the rear bench seat and in the centre tunnel. To assure maximum safety, particularly in an accident situation, the battery is enclosed by a frame joined to the reinforced underbody and the luggage space. An internal heat exchanger (high-temperature loop) ensures constant heat balance in the water/air-cooled battery compartment; this heat exchanger is housed at the front of the car. Meanwhile, a low-temperature loop maintains a constant temperature level for the power electronics and charger.

Integral drive

Similar to the Golf and Up! blue-e-motion, the basic primary and secondary components are housed in the engine compartment at the front. The core component here is the electric motor (a synchronous motor), which turns at high speeds of up to 12,000 rpm and is packaged with the transmission and differential. Energy is supplied via a high-voltage pulse-controlled inverter, which is integrated in the compact integral drive - along with the 12 Volt electrical system’s DC/DC converter and charging module.

Packaging and the car body

Thanks to the battery packaging dimensions, passengers enjoy just as much space in this car as in the Lavida versions with internal combustion engines. Only the luggage compartment is somewhat smaller at 352 litres. To further increase the car’s driving range, and thereby enhance its practical utility, vehicle weight was reduced by additional lightweight construction measures. Aluminium and magnesium have been used in the front and rear bonnets, while the doors consist primarily of aluminium. Compared to the previous production model, these combined actions trimmed nearly 60 kilograms from the car’s weight.

While hardly any body components had to be changed at the front end, except for minor modifications and a now closed lower bumper section, integration of the battery modules in the area of the tunnel and the rear axle required more substantial changes. Besides changes to the body-in-white, one of the most important technical components of the Lavida blue-e-motion is a rear axle derived from the Golf blue-e-motion.

New Approach to Information and Operating Systems

The driver gets information on the Lavida blue-e-motion’s status by one of two ways. The classic instrument cluster was kept, but it was supplemented by data specific to an E-vehicle. Instead of a tachometer, momentary power consumption is displayed in kW (Kilowatt). Average or momentary consumption for the trip is shown in kWh per 100 km of driving. A charge status indicator clearly shows how much energy remains in the Li-Ion battery, while the range indicator tells the driver how far the car can travel on the remaining battery charge.

The driver can call up more information about the vehicle’s status on the navigation system display (above the centre console). The display visualises energy flows during the drive - both battery discharging and recharging by regeneration. Also shown are the battery’s precise charge status, the electric motor’s power output and power consumption of the air conditioning system.

Another new item aboard the Lavida blue-e-motion is the new level added to the shift gate of the automatic gearbox. As an alternative to the Drive position (D), there is a B mode in which a higher braking torque is used for battery regeneration which recharges the battery while driving. Another new feature: A Start/Stop switch instead of the classic ignition switch.

SOURCE: Volkswagen