Detailed Version - Volkswagen AG

Summary
Summary
For the Life Cycle Assessment of the Golf VI, we compared a petrol model with
1.6-litre engine (75 kW) and 7-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox with a predecessor
model (Golf V 1.6 MPI, 75 kW) with manual gearbox. For the diesel models, a
2.0-litre TDI developing 81 kW was compared with a similar predecessor model
(Golf V 1.9 TDI, 77 kW). Both of the diesel models feature a diesel particulate filter
(DPF) as standard equipment. The evaluation of the environmental profile is not
solely based on emissions during a vehicle’s service life, but on the entire life
cycle from production to disposal. As in the case of the Golf V, the latest models
show improvements in all the environmental impact categories. The greatest
advances have been made in the areas of global warming potential (greenhouse
effect), acidification and photochemical ozone (summer smog) creation potential.
In other respects, such as water and soil eutrophication and ozone depletion,
the cars assessed have in any case very little impact. It emerged that these
improvements were primarily due to reduced fuel consumption and the resultant
drop in driving emissions and reduction in environmental impact at the fuel
production stage. The reduction in fuel consumption, in turn, is the direct result
of an extensive package of measures
related to the engines (especially the
turbocharged and mechanically
supercharged direct injection petrol
engines) and transmissions, as well as
improvements in the areas of lightweight
design, aerodynamic drag and
rolling resistance and the energy consumption
of electrical components.
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A Life Cycle Assessment includes
fuel production and vehicle
production, the vehicle’s service
life and recycling/disposal.