Skoda Vision X study unveiled in Geneva
At this year's Geneva Motor Show (6-18 March), Skoda is presenting its Vision X study, the Czech carmaker's first hybrid vehicle, combining natural gas, petrol and electric drive.
The Vision X drives with front, rear or all-wheel drive as needed and emits only 89g/km. Its newly designed drive concept features a combination of a CNG (compressed natural gas), a petrol-powered drivetrain and two electric motors.
The internal combustion engine is a 1.5 litre TSI G-TEC four-cylinder turbocharged engine designed for use with CNG. The CNG unit drives the front axle and produces a maximum output of 96kW (130hp) and delivers a maximum torque of 250Nm. The car has two CNG tanks, one under the rear seat and the other behind the rear axle. The rear axle is driven by two electric motors that are activated when needed to deliver additional power when starting or to improve the traction on smooth surfaces and off-road. The car's battery pack is rather small, being capable of driving the car two kilometres in full-electric mode.
No cardan shaft
The Skoda Vision X is the first all-wheel-drive vehicle without a cardan shaft, resulting in a considerable weight reduction which means less consumption.
When the car is in four-wheel-drive mode, the combustion engine is supplemented by one of the two electric motors. One is a belt-driven starter-generator (BSG) and the other is an electric motor on the rear axle, powered by a 48V lithium-ion battery pack that is charged while driving using regenerative braking.
The Vision X has a total range of 650 kilometres and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.3 seconds.
Electro-mobility future
The Vision X study gives an idea of the road Skoda wants to follow in the future. In 2019, the brand will start production of the Skoda Superb plug-in hybrid. The first fully electric model should follow shortly afterwards. Skoda is also planning to produce electrical components for other Volkswagen sister brands.
Images: Skoda Auto