Volkswagen of America announced further plans in its holistic approach to e-mobility at the Management Briefing Seminar, hosted by the Center for Automotive Research.
Starting with the launch of the zero-tailpipe emissions 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf model, Volkswagen will invest in carbon reduction projects to offset emissions created from e-Golf production, distribution and up to approximately 36,000 miles of driving. Volkswagen also named SunPower as the official solar energy partner power provider.
Through these innovative collaborations, Volkswagen will be one of the first high-volume manufacturers to deliver a truly holistic approach to ultra-low-carbon mobility. The 2015 e-Golf will go on sale later this year at participating dealerships in select states.
To help determine its carbon offset projects, Volkswagen is proud to announce it has teamed with 3Degrees, a renewable energy and carbon offset services provider. The partnership brings new meaning to the idea of an ultra-low carbon car. By investing in carbon reduction programs, Volkswagen will offset the e-Golf’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that result from its production, distribution and from the estimated emissions produced from keeping the vehicle charged through the initial 36,000 miles of the vehicle’s life. Volkswagen of America chose to include carbon reduction efforts in California and in Texas with projects geared towards forestry conservation and landfill gas capture.
Volkswagen-supported projects include:
GarciaRiver Forestry Project
The Garcia River Conservation-Based Forest Management Project, located in Mendocino County, Calif., protects and preserves a 24,000-acre native redwood forest, increasing carbon sequestration and storage, while also helping to restore the natural wildlife habitat. Emission reductions produced by the project are verified by an approved third party and registered with the Climate Action Reserve.
Big River and SalmonCreekForests
The BigRiver and SalmonCreekForests, located in Mendocino County, Calif., were subject historically to land fragmentation and unsustainable logging practices. In an effort to protect the native redwood and Douglas fir forest, the land is now protected through a 16,000-acre land purchase, which was funded in part by the carbon offsets it offers to organizations like Volkswagen. Emission reductions produced by the project are verified by an approved third party and registered with the Climate Action Reserve.
McKinney Landfill
The McKinney Landfill project, based at a closed landfill in McKinney, Texas, works to capture gases that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere from anaerobic decomposition within the landfill. Benefits from the capture include odor reduction, improved water quality and future distributed renewable energy production. The sale of carbon offsets supports the gas collection and flaring project. The emission reductions are validated, verified and registered using the Climate Action Reserve’s Landfill Project Protocol.
Providing Solar Energy Solutions, Partnering with SunPower
As part of Volkswagen’s efforts to deliver an ultra-low-carbon car, the company is working with SunPower to provide qualified U.S. Volkswagen e-Golf customers the opportunity to install a high performance SunPower solar system. A residential SunPower system can help customers save on annual household electricity costs as well as power their electric vehicle, reducing overall cost of ownership.
Volkswagen Group of America is SunPower’s first automotive partner whose customers will receive premier access to an energy storage solution from SunPower for a limited time once it becomes commercially available. Combining solar with energy storage will help provide homeowners peace-of-mind and opportunity to access back-up power during a power outage.
Charging Solutions
Volkswagen’s holistic approach to e-mobility also extends to the ownership experience. The company recently announced that Bosch Automotive Service Solutions will serve as a charging station and installation services partner for the e-Golf. Bosch will provide a 240-volt charging unit, the Power Max charging station, as well as full-service installation for qualified e-Golf drivers. The charging station and installation will be offered at highly competitive prices to e-Golf customers.
Additionally, Volkswagen has selected ChargePoint® to complete the driver experience by providing all authorized e-Golf dealerships with VW-branded charging stations and by giving e-Golf drivers access to the largest network of public EV charging stations. As a result, e-Golf drivers will have access to over 18,000 ChargePoint stations around the U.S., in addition to those stations installed at authorized VW dealerships. All e-Golf drivers will also get access to the ChargePoint mobile app, which will help them navigate to ChargePoint stations, see real-time status updates relating to ChargePoint stations and start charging sessions.
The 2015 e-Golf will go on sale later this year at participating dealerships in select US states and will bring zero-tailpipe emissions to the Golf family of vehicles.
