Innovative technologies come once every decade or so. From variable valve timing to drive-by-wire, the internal combustion engine has become pretty good at extracting power from petroleum.
But for the modern vehicle, it’s not just the engine that needs to be re-examined for better efficiency. That’s why Volkswagen have developed a new set of ideas that re-work every aspect of the vehicle in favour of maximum fuel efficiency. Cars that benefit from this new wave of thinking are sold under the ‘BlueMotion’ banner.
While it began in the mid-to-late 2000s with diesel engines, more and more petrol powered Volkswagens are now included too.
These new vehicles feature smart solutions to the problem of efficiency. Starting with the engine, Volkswagen’s engineers have figured out that the engine block should have a higher temperature in relation to the cylinder heads. They’ve therefore redesigned the water pump and exhaust manifold in order to more accurately regulate the temperature of each section of the engine.
But there are other technologies that fall under the BlueMotion umbrella. Here are 5 of them:
- The Start/Stop function which deactivates the engine when the car isn’t mobile
- A Brake Energy Recuperation System that takes less energy away from your engine to power things like the air conditioner
- Low Rolling Resistance tyres are fitted as standard, so there’s less friction to overcome when on the move
- TSI engines with lower displacements and Active Cylinder Deactivation technology burn less petrol when cruising, but have the turbochargers ready for spritely drives
- BlueMotion-equipped models also have smaller panel gaps as well as redesigned headlight clusters, radiator grilles and underbody coverings for optimised aerodynamics
By eliminating losses, energy is better spent. It’s also no surprise that in Malaysia the Golf TSI, which comes with many BlueMotion Technologies, has DSG as standard. DSG is a big part of the BlueMotion strategy.
Inside the DSG, a mechatronic unit is constantly evaluating a selection of data. It takes information from the gearbox input speed, both drive shafts and the ABS control unit to determine the road speed, then detects how far the accelerator pedal has been depressed.
If the mechatronic unit decides to engage a higher gear, it readies the next gear, then opens the current clutch and closes the other. The switch from one gear to the next is nearly instantaneous, meaning torque from the engine is passed along to the wheels without any interruption. The DSG on the Golf TSI with BlueMotion Technology comes with 7-forward gear ratios, more than enough to keep things efficient at any speed.
