Hydrogen-powered vehicles are the next big thing when it comes to alternative fuels and we’re seeing plenty of movement in the sector at the LA Auto Show.
After Toyota’s announcement on the Mirai and Audi’s reveal of the A7 Sportback h-tron quattro concept, Volkswagen is presenting the world premiere of the Golf SportWagen HyMotion and its sister model, the Passat HyMotion, both of which are currently undergoing field tests on the streets of California.
The two VW HyMotion models share a similar powertrain technology with the Audi A7 Sportback h-tron quattro featuring a fuel cell stack and carbonfibre hydrogen tanks that work in conjunction with a plug-in lithium-ion battery and an electric motor. However, unlike the all-wheel drive Audi that has an extra electric motor to drive the rear wheels, the single-motor HyMotion system powers the front wheels only.
The total system output is 136PS (134hp) with the Golf SportWagen HyMotion accelerating from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 10.0 seconds.
The hydrogen is stored in four carbon fiber tanks at a pressure of 700 bar (10,150 psi) that can be refilled in about three minutes enabling a driving range of 310 miles (500 km).
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