2013 Jetta Hybrid nears 200mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats
Most hybrid car commercials nowadays hit on two major points – (1) drivers will save money at the pump and (2) their car will have significantly less impact on the environment. But in all of the fluff and propoganda, they all clearly avoid one major point – that these cars are nowhere near as fast as their gas-guzzling counterparts.
This will likely change after Volkswagen’s announcement that their 2013 Jetta Hybrid successfully recorded a speed of 185.394mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Nevada. The test was part of the Southern California Timing Association’s (SCTA) annual “Speed Week”.
Volkswagen’s 2013 Jetta Hybrid has set a new speed record for electric cars.
The Jetta’s recording eclipses the car category’s previous record set in May by a hybrid Volvo truck that hit a speed of 165mph.
Taking a look under the hood
Volkswagen’s Jetta Hybrid combines a 1.4-liter turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder TSI gasoline engine, capable of generating 150 horsepower, with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission and an electric motor that adds an additional 27 horsepower.
It gets 45 miles per gallon and can from 0 to 60 in 9 seconds flat.
The car is part of Volkswagen’s new “Think Blue” campaign, a company initiative that encourages eco-friendly mobility and progressive ideas for responsible action in everyday life.
“Achieving this speed at Bonneville shows that the all-new 2013 Jetta Hybrid is a distinctly different offering in the compact hybrid class,” said Jonathan Browning, CEO and President, VW Group of America. “As well as being expected to achieve combined fuel economy of 45 mpg, the Jetta Turbo Hybrid also retains the fun-to-drive nature you expect from a Volkswagen in a segment dominated by less exciting vehicles.”
Modifications
In order to get the horsepower necessary to hit 185mph, the car’s powertrain was modified by Volkswagen’s R&D team in Wolfsburg, Germany. While exact modifications weren’t detailed by the company (for obvious reasons), they did state that the Jetta Hybrid driven during the test was modified in accordance with SCTA rules.
Additionally, project integration and other modifications to enable the car to run safely on the salt were handled by A-Salt Racing and Advanced Product Engineering, based in Camarillo, California. Implementation and final calibration of the drivetrain in the car was supported by the engineers from the Volkswagen Test Center California in Oxnard, CA.
“We are really proud that our new Jetta Hybrid is the world’s fastest hybrid,” said Marc Trahan, Executive Vice President, Group Quality. “It was a real challenge to integrate the complex hybrid elements and generate the power needed to run at these speeds. The Jetta Hybrid Land Speed Record project shows both the sporty nature of our Hybrid offering and the technical excellence of our engineers in Wolfsburg and in the Test Center California.” ■
Story via: VW.com
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