VW Reveals Golf Plus BiFuel - LPG or Petrol

VW Golf Plus BiFuel

By Zack Newmark
June 12, 2009 6:47 PM
Filed Under: Alternative Fuel, German, Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Golf BiFuel mkVI hatchback was first debuted at Bologna in December and now available for order.  Now VW adds the VW Golf Plus variant to it's LPG lineup. The car runs on both liquified petroleum gas and conventional petrol.  Both Golf hatchback and Golf Plus are the first vehicles with a factory-installed LPG system put on the market by VW.

When running on LPG the Golf Plus cuts down on emissions by 10 percent.  Using a 97 horsepower 1.6-liter four-banger the car burns either 7.5 liters of petrol per 100 km, or 9.8 litres of LPG over the same distance.

Although the car burns a higher quantity of LPG than petrol, using LPG can translate to a savings of over €6.10 for every 100km using the current price of fuel in Germany.  Germany charges a lower amount of tax on LPG versus petrol.

Believe it or not, LPG is available in over 4,700 filling stations in Germany alone, with the fuel available across Europe as well.  Thanks to the two different fuel tanks, the car has a potential range of over 1,100 km.

The new Volkswagen Golf Plus BiFuel has a starting price of €22,460.

Source: VW

Press Release (Click to expand)

New Golf Plus BiFuel now available for order

  • LPG version reduces CO2 emissions by over 10%
  • Safer and more durable than conversions

The Golf Plus now also runs on LPG. Thanks to the use of this alternative fuel, a reduction of more than 10% in CO2 emissions and fuel savings of €6.10 per 100 kilometres* in LPG mode could also be achieved, due in part to the reduced German fuel tax in place until 2018. All in all, a solid argument.

With its bi-fuel drive system - which can run on petrol at the flick of a switch - the new Golf Plus lowers consumption and emissions: the 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine with 72 kW / 98 PS needs an average of 9.8 litres of LPG per 100 kilometres (159 g/km CO2). When burning petrol, the Golf Plus BiFuel is even more economical (7.5 litres of Super, 179 g/km CO2) over the same distance.

This gives the LPG-powered Golf Plus an environmental edge, namely CO2 emissions more than 10% lower than those of comparable petrol-engined vehicles. The 55-litre petrol tank and the LPG tank, which has a usable volume of 43 litres and is built into the spare wheel well to save space, provide an extended range of more than 1,100 kilometres. The LPG tank alone has a range of about 440 kilometres. LPG filling station coverage is comprehensive in Europe - in Germany alone there are more than 4,700 stations.

The factory-installed solution for the new Golf Plus BiFuel is considerably more advantageous than an LPG conversion: to name just a couple of benefits, the vehicle has been subjected to extensive endurance testing and undergone crash testing with the LPG tank, making it extremely safe. Customers receive a full warranty for the entire vehicle, LPG components included. The new Golf Plus BiFuel is now available for order in the Trendline and Comfortline versions at an entry-level price of €22,460.

Last updated: 9th June 2009 / Average price of LPG per litre in Germany is €0.62

 

Comments

howe2002
June 12, 2009 8:16 PM
Does it have a flex-capaciter?

JC.Euro
June 12, 2009 9:40 PM
Howe2002, You mean "Flux-Capacitor" from "Back to the Future" right? ;)


Edited by user on June 12, 2009 at 9:41 PM
howe2002
June 12, 2009 10:05 PM
Ya, sorry spelling isn't geart!!

mb74fan
June 12, 2009 10:40 PM
It with be a great if somebody will make a car which works both with petrol and diesel oil. Than we don't have to pay attention what we'll refill.

TroyBoy71
June 13, 2009 4:22 AM
Except that one engine has spark plugs (petrol) and the other runs on compression ignition (diesel)...

;)

scratchy996
June 13, 2009 12:53 PM
I think MB tried that with their DiesOtto engine.


Edited by user on June 13, 2009 at 12:54 PM
HEMI426
June 12, 2009 11:39 PM
Why is it only for the 1.6?

mb74fan
June 13, 2009 12:06 PM
maybe because they are still in tests and maybe they expects to have some problems


Edited by user on June 13, 2009 at 12:09 PM
panathaninf
June 14, 2009 11:17 AM
Simply because a 1.6 engine with 97 horses is more than enough for 95% of transportation needs, thus reducing fuel needs and cost of the car. You know you don't need a 2-ton 300 horsepower truck just to go to work everyday... This is enough reason for most of EU citizens.

James2911
June 13, 2009 4:29 PM
I thought the VW/Audi all-alloy petrol 1.6 had been superseded, along with 1.9 TDI.

XtremeMaC01
June 14, 2009 12:25 AM
well lpg usage isn't new. aftermarket install of lpg is widely used and $$ numbers are much lower than golf's lpg numbers. And if u don't know about lpg usage, its used on many Suv's and luxury cars as well. my friend has a cherokee 4.8L and it runs as smoothly as the petrol version. and consumes much less $$. and emisions at that. I wonder what the reason might be for the high lpg usage of golf. also bmw had a lpg car that can reach 330kmh, which I had read in wcf back a while ago.

afterace2
June 14, 2009 11:23 PM
In Poland where I live, LPG is as popular as diesel, especially in cars with bigger engines, albeit I am not a big fan of this technology, it helps save the money much and makes great, but uneconomical cars actually possible to drive, where the petrol is very expensive.

bILLIONAIRE
June 15, 2009 4:10 PM
Mine 08' 1.9 TDI isn't superseded i think.. Man, why didn't I wait just a few more months to but the golf VI...

hiatus
June 17, 2009 12:23 AM
LPG should be good stuff, here in Hong Kong, they use it with all the taxi and mini-bus, they seem to run well and last long :)

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