Volkswagen has introduced its new Polo BlueMotion concept car with a 3.3 litre fuel consumption, making it one of the most economical cars in the world, according to a statement.

The five-seater Polo BlueMotion, still a concept car with CO2 emissions at 87 grams/kg,  has yet to be developed for the new 1.2 litre turbo-charged diesel injection (TDI) with common rail injection before a potential production launch, said a top official of the German automaker.

“I anticipate that we will be able to go into production in February 2010,” said development chief Dr Ulrich Hackenberg.

“Meeting this schedule will be extremely demanding. Yet the engine and other systems of the Polo BlueMotion are already operating with such promising performance that we are on course to meet our goal,” he added.

The 'other systems' to which he refers include an automatic start-stop system and regenerative braking.

These two technologies alone reduce fuel consumption of the 55 kW / 75 PS three-cylinder direct-injection diesel by up to 0.2 litres per 100 kilometres.

On the Polo BlueMotion concept car, which weighs in at just 1,080 kilograms, Volkswagen is calling upon an entire array of efficiency measures, including an aerodynamic package for the body that is lowered by 10 millimetres (including modified front end), an aerodynamically optimised underbody and low rolling resistance tires on 15-inch alloy wheels.

Altogether, these modifications yield fuel savings totaling 0.8 litres. This has lowered CO2 emissions by about 20 per cent.

Other features being presented on the Polo BlueMotion concept car at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show include a custom interior with 'power on' trim, and a display for indicating upshifting and tire pressure. The design study is painted in the new exterior color 'Emotion blue'.

Start-stop system

The car features intuitive operation of the start-stop system. As the driver approaches a red stop light in the Polo BlueMotion concept car, he or she applies the brakes to bring the vehicle to a stop, shifts into neutral (which should be standard practice with a conventional car) and takes his or her foot off the clutch. This shuts off the engine momentarily.

A 'start stop' message now appears in the multifunctional display. As soon as the traffic light turns green again, the driver fully depresses the clutch, the engine starts, the 'start stop' message disappears, and the driver puts the car back in gear and resumes driving.

Regenerative braking

Regenerative braking helps to recover energy that would otherwise be lost in driving in as efficient a way as possible.

During deceleration and braking phases of the Polo BlueMotion concept car – i.e., whenever the driver simply releases the accelerator pedal or intentionally brakes – the alternator’s charging voltage is elevated, which converts the car’s kinetic energy into electrical energy to charge the battery.

An alternator control – which regulates the alternator as a function of engine efficiency for optimal battery charging – lowers alternator voltage at other times, for e.g., during acceleration or driving at a constant speed. It is even possible to switch off the alternator entirely.

This reduces engine load and improves fuel economy. Special software for energy management and modified engine controller software are needed to utilise regeneration.

Volkswagen is presenting the Polo concept car in Geneva under the new umbrella brand 'BlueMotionTechnologies'. – TradeArabia News Service