The Volkswagen Golf Mk7.5 has just arrived on our shores but the brand has already announced its plans for the next-generation hatchback – a 48-V mild hybrid system. The Golf Mk8 will spearhead Volkswagens plans to gradually electrify almost every vehicle in its model range.
The new Golf will feature a conventional combustion engine supported by a 48-V belt-integrated starter generator and a 48-V battery. It also features a small, lightweight electric motor to give the car improved driving dynamics (higher torque at initial start-up).
The 48-V system enables a considerably higher amount of energy to be saved through energy recuperation when braking and stores in the 48-V lithium-ion battery pack. Adopting this system allows the Golf mild hybrid to coast with the combustion engine completely switched off (much like Audi’s mild-hybrid system) which contributes to fuel savings of up to 0.3 litres per 100 km.
The company, however, did not reveal whether the 48-V mild hybrid will be featured in all variants of the Golf or will it be introduced as a new variant altogether. Judging from Volkswagen’s push for greener electrified vehicles, it will only be a matter of time before we see the GTI and R getting the same treatment.
