HyMotion-Touran/Tiguan

What works in the lab is by no means automatically suited to everyday use as well. The most important criterion for any new technology, however, is its affordability for future customers. This principle naturally also applies to fuel cell powertrains, which is why research vehicles that test and fine tune the everyday utility of this particular technology continue to be developed. Volkswagen’s first vehicle powered by a fuel cell was a Golf Variant with a 20 kW unit developed in 1996 and followed four years later by a Bora – the very first vehicle in the HyMotion family – with a 30 kW fuel cell. Its successor was called Bora HyPower, and this particular vehicle with its 40kW fuel cell even successfully completed road tests over the Alps in 2001. The first Touran HyMotion powered by a fuel cell combined with an electric battery and delivering 80kW, debuted in 2004. The latest addition to the family is a Tiguan with a high-pressure tank and high-tech battery that set it apart from the rest of the family.

Touran HyMotion

In 2004, Volkswagen developers considered the Touran HyMotion to be the fuel cell powertrain with the highest everyday utility. With this research vehicle, the engineers cracked one of the critical problems: how to integrate a fuel cell powertrain in a conventional production vehicle while incurring only minimal interior space restrictions. The quiet and vibration-free 80 kW electric motor accelerates from rest to 100 km/h in 14 seconds, and the vehicle has a top speed of 140 km/h. Power is supplied by a low-temperature fuel cell and the energy stored in a nickel metal hydride battery allows the vehicle to react dynamically to the most vigorous performance requirements. During normal operation the battery is “charged” by the fuel cell, but it can also store regenerative braking energy for when extra power is needed.

Tiguan HyMotion

The Tiguan HyMotion presented in 2008 features a fuel cell system with a power output of 80 kW which is integrated in the engine compartment. The electric motor develops a maximum power of 100 kW. Even though this prototype is significantly heavier than the Touran HyMotion, speed and acceleration are similar and maximum torque is 220 Nm. A lithium ion battery installed beneath the cargo floor in the trunk serves as an auxiliary energy storage device. In this research vehicle, too, the battery can also be charged via recovered braking energy (recuperation). One particular innovative highlight is the new 700-bar hydrogen tank, the first of its kind to be installed in such a vehicle. The tank has improved pressure resistance so its capacity is 66 percent higher than the previous 350-bar model. The new tank holds 3.2 kilograms of compressed hydrogen, giving the Tiguan HyMotion a driving range of roughly 230 kilometers. And, like all the other HyMotion models, this particular Tiguan emits zero CO2.