GW0708 Cover final copy - German World

16
Am 12. Juni 2008 stellte Volkswagen in San Francisco mit dem
neuen Zweiliter TSI Tiguan, dem Zweiliter Jetta TDI und dem
nordamerikanischen Debüt des Tiguan HyMotion Brennstoffzellen-Konzepts
seine kurzfristige und geplante benzinsparende
Antriebstechnologie vor.
Der Tiguan HyMotion zeigt den aktuellen Status der Hydrogen
Brennstoffzellenforschung und Entwicklung bei Volkswagen. Der
Tiguan HyMotion verfügt über ein Hydrogen-Brenstoffzellensystem,
das mehr als 107 PS leistet und dabei keine schädlichen
Emissionen produziert. Sauberes Kondenswasser ist das einzige
Abfallprodukt. Mit Unterstützung des Elektromotors schwingt sich
der Tiguan zu 134 PS auf und erreicht eine Höchstgeschwindigkeit
von 148 Km/h und schafft es in 14 Sekunden von Null auf 100.
Leider wird die HyMotion Brennstoffzellentechnologie wegen
der fehlenden Infrastruktur für das Betanken in den nächsten
sechs bis zehn Jahren nicht hier in den USA erhältlich sein. Der
spritsparende und umweltschonende TSI Tiguan und der 2.0-Liter
Jetta TDI, sind dagegen ab diesem und nächstem Jahr erhältlich.
BMW GEWINNT ERSTE RUNDE
IM KAMPF GEGEN CHINA-PLAGIATE
Wie die deutsche Autozeitschrift „Automobilwoche“
berichtet, hat der bayerische Autohersteller
BMW vor dem Münchner Landgericht einen
ersten Sieg errungen: Der X5-Klon Shuanghuan
CEO darf nicht mehr in Deutschland verkauft
werden, sobald das Urteil rechtskräftig wird.
BMW hatte im September vergangenen Jahres
kurz vor der IAA rechtliche Schritte gegen den
Importeur China Automobile eingeleitet, um den
Vertrieb des Geländewagens CEO zu unterbinden.
www.german-world.com July/August 2008
ALEXANDER HAST
VW stellt
emissionsfreien Tiguan
in den USA vor
VON
BY
VW’s US Debut of
Zero-Emission Tiguan
On June 12, 2008, in San Francisco, with the new 2.0-liter TSI
Tiguan, 2.0-liter Jetta TDI and the North American debut of the
Tiguan HyMotion Fuel-Cell Concept, Volkswagen showcased its
near-term and future fuel-efficient powertrain technology.
The Tiguan HyMotion highlights the current state of Volkswagen’s
hydrogen fuel-cell research and development. The Tiguan
HyMotion features a hydrogen fuel-cell system, which provides
over 107 horsepower while not emitting any harmful emissions.
Clean water vapor is its only by-product. Assisted by the electric
motor, the Tiguan advances to 134 horsepower. Its top speed is 93
mph and it accelerates from 0 to 100 in 14 seconds.
Unfortunately, the HyMotion fuel-cell technology will not be available
in the US for the next six to ten years due to a lack of infrastructure
for refueling. But the gas-saving and environmentally friendly
TSI Tiguan and the 2.0-liter Jetta TDI are available starting this year
and next.
BMW WINS FIRST ROUND IN FIGHT
AGAINST CHINESE LOOKALIKE
According to German car magazine “Automobilwoche,”
the Bavarian auto manufacturer BMW
won a first victory at a Munich court. As soon as
the ruling becomes binding, the X5 clone, the
Shuanghuan CEO, can no longer be sold in
Germany. In September of last year, shortly
before the IAA motorshow, BMW had initiated
legal steps against the importer China Automobile
to prohibit sales of the CEO SUV.
BY PETRA SCHUERMANN
Everybody Loves Smart
American customers have to wait 1 ½ years for their smart fortwo
Prior to launching the Smart car to the US market, there were
doubts how the American consumer who tends to follow the
motto "the bigger, the better," would react to the tiny car from
Germany. Worldwide, there are over 900,000 smart car owners -
with Italy and Germany counting most smart cars on their roads -
and now that the US joined the party there seems to be no stopping.
In the first six months after its introductions, more than 11,000 smart
fortwo cars have been sold. Currently, American consumers have
to wait 1 ½ years for their smart fortwo.
With gas prices soaring and American cities suffocating from
increasing traffic, the smart car, with a gasoline consumption of
38 – 41 mpg becomes more attractive than ever. Besides, the
Americans seem to take a real liking of the car. "Welcome, little
smart car, to the big American roads," titled the New York Times lovingly
in January 2008. And as far as safety is concerned, the news
could not be any better: The 8-foot, 8-inch vehicle received the
highest rating of good in front-end and side-impact testing by the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A British TV show slammed
one smart fortwo car into a wall at 70 miles-per-hour and the passenger
cabin survived intact. And despite it small dimensions, it
offers the legroom and headroom of a Cadillac Escalade, as the Car
and Driver Magazine noted, although it is four-and-a-half feet
shorter than the original Volkswagen Beetle.
Preparations for the smart fortwo began in the early 1990's with a
Joint Venture between Mercedes-Benz and Swatch, the makers of
Swatch watches from Switzerland known for their wide array of
colorful designs. Nicolas Hayek, the inventor of the Swatch watch
brought his ideas for an "ultra-urban" car to Mercedes-Benz. Still
today, smart remains a vital member of Mercedes-Benz Cars, a
Daimler AG Company. smart USA, a division of Penske Automotive
Group, is the exclusive distributor for smart in North America and
FLAMMENDER PROTEST
GEGEN BENZINPREISE
Aus Ärger über die hohen Benzinpreise hat ein
30-jähriger in Frankfurt am Main sein Auto mit
Benzin übergossen und angezündet. Der
schwarze 3er BMW mit Baujahr 1995 brannte in
einer Grünanlage nahe des Frankfurter Messegeländes
komplett aus. Der Mann aus Bayern
erklärte, sich wegen der hohen Spritpreise kein
Auto mehr leisten zu können. In Saudi Arabien,
so betont er auf seiner Website, koste der Liter
Benzin gerade einmal zwischen acht und zehn
Eurocent.
Hills, Michigan. There
are currently 69 smart
dealerships in the US.
The smart fortwo is
already somewhat of a
star in the United
States. It has the privileged
distinctions of
being on display as a
work of art at the
Museum of Modern
Art (MOMA) in New
York City. It is the only
vehicle on display at
MOMA which is still in
production and on sale
today. Full development of the concept started in 1994 and the smart
fortwo debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in 1997. The challenge
of the smart fortwo design started with the approach to safety.
The tridion safety cell was Mercedes-Benz's answer for a small
car that can meet high safety standards. The tridion safety cell is a
"hard shell" that surrounds the smart fortwo's occupants with an
energy displacing system of longitudinal and transverse structural
members. Then the engineering team added Electronic Stability
Control (esp) and ABS brakes to make the smart even more technologically
advanced.
Other innovations include the selection of energy efficient and
recyclable materials, the removable door panels (which allows you
to change the color of your smart fortwo instantly) and a high driving
position for great visibility and easy of entry into a small car. All
of these combined to make smart a true revolution in driving.
FLAMING
GAS-PRICE PROTEST
Angry about the skyrocketing gas prices, a 30year-old
in Frankfurt am Main doused his car with
gasoline and set fire to it. The black 1995 BMW 3series
sedan burned completely out on the lawn
of the Convention Center in Frankfurt. The man
from Bavaria explained that he could no longer
afford to drive the vehicle because gas prices
were so high. On his website he emphasizes that
in Saudi Arabia a liter of gas currently does not
cost more than eight to ten euro cents.
July/August 2008 www.german-world.com
17