Could the VW e-Up be the finest example yet
of a full battery electric vehicle development? Well, in short, along with the
Tesla Model S and BMW i3, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. Having always
planned for an all-electric derivative when Up was first being formed many
years ago within VW’s R&D labs in Wolfsburg, Europe’s largest car maker has
– without too much engineering fuss – swapped the fantastic three cylinder
EA211 petrol engine in the conventional Up with an equally impressive
e-powertrain.
Motivation
comes from an 80 horsepower electric motor and 18.7-kWh lithium-ion battery
pack. Volkswagen says the e-up! will do 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in 14 seconds
and reach a top speed of 84 mph. So the e-up! isn’t really a Tesla Model S
competitor.
That means there’s a compact,
in-house-developed e-motor providing 60kW and 210Nm of torque linked to the
front wheels via a single-speed EQ 270 gearbox. Such power ensures e-Up can
compete with its three-cylinder siblings, reaching 100km/h in 12.4 seconds before
topping out at 130km/h (80mph). The lithium-ion battery, which is seamlessly
integrated into the floor and weighs 230kg, consists of 230 cells and is rated
at 18.7kWh, helping to ensure a realistic real-world driving range of 160km
(100 miles). On dense inner-city roads, more challenging countryside routes or
even on the autobahn, the e-Up drives just like its IC-engined cousin:
essentially really well! And the 160km range is, more or less, all there to be
had when driving intelligently. In truth, e-Up is every bit as good as the
three-cylinder Up, which means it’s a great product all round. And the best
bit? While the e-powertrain is more than impressive, being based on MQB means
that the interior of the e-Up is like any other conventional Volkswagen.
Propulsion system: The electric motor
generates 60kW (82ps) and 210Nm of torque, and is linked to the front wheels
via a single-speed EQ 270 gearbox
Lexus IS 300h
Now into its third-generation, this latest
Lexus IS range is the first to offer a hybrid powertrain, pairing together a
2.5-liter Atkinson cycle petrol unit with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system
that’s rebadged as Lexus Hybrid Drive when applied to the latter’s upmarket
range. The new fourcylinder is smooth, offering 180ps, which is supplemented by
a further 105kW coming from the water-cooled permanent magnet synchronous
electric motor.
With
the petrol-electric IS 300h being an entirely new addition to the IS range -
which is one of the last Lexus model lines to get a hybrid powertrain option -
it's safe to say that the IS 300h is the one that the public and press will be
most curious about
While it doesn’t feel anywhere near as fast
off the mark as the Infiniti – compared with the Q50 3.5h, IS 300h takes more
than three additional seconds to go from 0-100km/h – the Lexus is far more
eco-friendly, with CO2emissions from 99g/km and fuel consumption on combined
cycle being 4.3 l/100km (65.7mpg). Granted, we here at E&H couldn’t quite
achieve that same high economy rating, but we came pretty close, in doing so
finding that the IS was far happier to do more driving in all electric mode,
with the petrol base engine far less likely to cut in to take over operation.
In addition to the IC engine and e-motor, the hybrid setup also comprises a
generator, power split device and a high-performance nickel-metal hydride
battery, which for the first time in a Lexus application has been installed in
a reinforced compartment beneath the load space floor, therefore not
compromising the space available for luggage. Interestingly, Lexus says it
chose nickel-metal over lithium-ion because of its proven and reliable nature.
Completing
the interior niceties are a pair of electrostatic-touch sensitive sliders for
adjusting the temperature of the climate system.
Another technical impressive feature of the
IS 300h is the compact power control unit, which governs the high-speed
interaction of the different components, and is some 20% lighter than the
previous Lexus PCU thanks to a new structure design and the use of advanced
materials.
Propulsion system: A 2.5-liter Atkinson
cycle petrol engine offers 180ps, and is supplemented by the 105kW (143ps)
water-cooled permanent magnet e-motor
