The VW Golf SportWagen HyMotion concept has made its world debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Although on the outside it looks pretty much the same as the regular model, underneath the skin is an entirely different car as the concept actually features a hydrogen fuel cell powering an electric motor rated at 134 bhp (100 kW). It’s enough to allow the alternatively-powered Golf SportWagen (aka Variant) run the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in just ten seconds. The interesting concept also has a lithium-ion battery pack storing the kinetic energy obtained from the vehicle’s regenerative braking system.
Once stored, this energy is then used in the fuel cell’s starting phase to provide what Volkswagen is describing as a “dynamic boost” to increase the concept’s maximum acceleration. The necessary hydrogen is stored in four tanks made from carbon fiber which have been installed underneath the body. Fully filled, the hydrogen tanks provide the VW Golf SportWagen HyMotion concept with a maximum range of up to 310 miles (499 km). After the tanks are depleted, a complete refill will take around three minutes which is only a little bit more than a regular refill.
Source: Volkswagen
