Electric Mobility and the Environment

7/28/2019 Electric Mobility and the Environment

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The e-Mission.Electric Mobility and the Environment.


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Change is coming.Not only out on the road We are on a mission an e-Missio n, where e stands or el ectric.

Electric mobility is on its way electric mobility rom Volkswagen.

Electric powertrains hold the key to long-term sustainable mobility.

Fleet trials have already been successully completed. And the frst

volume-produ ction all-electric vehicles o Volkswagen Group will

soon be taking to the road.

Volkswagen has designated 2013 the Year o the Electric Car. B ut get-

ting an electric vehicle on the road is only one side o the coin. Elec-

tric vehicles rom Volkswagen need to orm part o an approach that

takes a wider range o issues into account. Volkswagen stands or res-

ponsible business practices towards its employees, towards society

and towards the environment. Ultimately, our aim is to become the

worlds most eco- riendly automaker.

We are wel l aware that elec-

tric mobility is more than

just a new orm o propul-

sion. It is also one that will

massively change the car as

we know it, the way it is used and the way it is manuactured . New re-

sources and materials will be required, rom lithium or the batte-

ries to neodymium or the electric motors. Production systems will

have to be restructured and employees will have to be trained to work

with new electric technol ogy and components.

In other words, we are acing an automotive sea change. Electric mo-

bility is changing the way we think. We will have to think hard, or

example, about undamental questions such as: what raw materials

Dr. Rudolf Krebs

Group Chie Oicer or

Electric Traction

and resources oer the best long-term prospects? What is the best

way o minimising manuacturing emissions or electric compo-

nents? And above all: how will the electricity to power the electric

cars o the uture be generated? And how will this aect the overall

environmental ootprint o electric mobility?

This brochure sets out our answers to many o these questions. Be-

cause we are not only looking to build electric cars. We will also be

delivering responsible solutions that address the wider implications

and inrastructure o electric mobility. Obviously an electric car is

emission-ree at the point o use. But or Volkswagen, the responsibi-

lity does not stop there. We are raising the bar substantially in terms

o sustainability. Our aim is to ensure that electric mobility is carbon-

neutral over the entire vehicle

lie cycle.

In other words, targeting zero

emissions is our e-Mission.

The e-Mission is based on our

lie-cycle-oriented approach to

environmentally sustainable product development, which is frmly

anchored in our corporate principles. This approach highlights not

only the more amiliar environmental impacts o the car, but also the

less obvious ones, impacts which at frst glance might appear unrela-

ted to the automobile and road trafc. Particularly at a time o arrea-

ching change in the automotive industry, this work throws up impor-

tant and ascinating challenges, the most exciting o which are set

out in this brochure.

Dr. Rudolf Krebs, Wolfram Thomas

Electric cars run with zero emissions.

So e-cars that run on green power produce no CO2 at all?

But wont old e-cars create a new waste problem?

but also in the waywe think.

Wolfram Thomas

Group Chie Oicer or

the Environment, Energy

and New Business Areas

We are raising the bar substantiallyin terms o sustainability.


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Electric cars run withzero emissions.

But electricity doesntgrow on trees.


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1Electricity has the power.But or electric cars, some kindso power are better than others.Wind energy is one o the big hopes o the uture or electric vehicles. The annual output oa single 2-MW wind turbine would be enough to keep over 4,000 electric cars charged or ayear, assuming an average annual mi leage o 10,000 k ilometre s.Electric cars are emission-ree at the point o use. But

how do things look when we trace the electricity back

to its source? Do we even know where the energy

were putting into el ectric cars co mes ro m?

Some o us might simply say the electricity comes rom

a socket in the wall. And indeed, it can oten be dii-

cult to be more precise than that. Ater all, each coun-

try and region has its own generation mix. For exam-

ple a typical compact-class electric car running on the

average European electricity mix would emit 88 g CO2

per kilometre. This is less than most combustion-

engined vehicles, but not much less.

In some countries, though, the picture is very die-

rent. China, or example, produces more than three

quarters o its electricity rom coal, and the USA

around hal. So an electric car charged rom the natio-

nal grid in one o these countries actually generates

more CO2 emissions than a petrol-engined car.

In China, it would emit 184 grams o CO 2 per kilome-

tre, almost twice as much as a uel-eicient diesel mo-

del. The same electric car charged at an average

German household power socket would lead to CO2

emissions o around 112 grams per kilometre.

However, i that electricity was sourced exclusively

rom wind turbines, those emissions would all to no

more than one gram per kilometre.

For Volkswagen, thereore, it is clear that the goal

must be to charge electric cars solely rom regenera-

tive sources. And the proo that green power is indeed

one hundred percent physically generated renewable

power can be provided by certiicates o origin.

In sum, to oer a truly eco-riendly solution in terms

o overall emissions and not just at the point o use

electric cars must be powered by electricity rom

renewable energy sources.

Renewable electricity

VW Kratwerk GmbH made green power

available or the German leet trials o the

electric Gol in 2011/2012. This 100% renew-

able electricity is sourced or example rom

hydroelectric power plants in the Alps. Cer-

tiicates o origin or this power were is-

sued by the TV NORD technical speciica-

tion body.

Audi AG is investing in an oshore wind

turbine project in the North Sea. These tur-

bines are currently generating around

53 GWh o power a year. This amount o

power would meet the requirements o a

medium-sized city or a whole year, or keep

almost 30,000 electric cars running or

10,000 kilometres.

Charging infrastructure

For Volkswagen there is more to electric

mobility than building electric vehicles. We

also look at wider issues such as the char-

ging inrastructure. The ideal solution here

is a garage- or carport-installed wallbox

charger.

The Volkswagen plant in Wolsburg has its

own on-site electric charging station. This

pioneering acility generates its own power

rom wind and solar energy and stores it in

a state-o-the-art battery system.

Swarm power

In uture, e-cars could urther assist the en-

ergy revolution by taking on an additional

role as energy storage buers. Wind energy,

or example, is not always available when its

needed. So cars recharged overnight with

wind energy could eed back some o this

buered electricity. Volkswagen is working

closely with partner companies and research

establishments to develop appropriate solu-

tions. In another approach to decentralized

swarmpower, Volkswagen EcoBlue com-

bined heat and power plants could li kewise

be used as a way o meeting peak demand.

These can be operated on natural gas or bio-

gas, and can thereore make a signicant

contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.

However, if the electricity is ge-

nerated entirely from renewable

sources, emissions show a steep

fall. Wind power has a footprint

of just 1 g CO2/km. These emis-

sions are generated during the

production and servicing of the

turbines.

g CO2/kmMore background on the CO 2statistics can be found at:

www.volkswagenag.com

> Sustainability and Responsibility.

88g CO2/km

Electricity first has to be generated

using either renewable or fossil feed-

stocks. And because electricity genera-

tion inevitably produces CO2, it follows

that electric cars have a carbon footprint

too. Based on the European generation

mix, this footprint works out at an ave-

rage of 88 g CO2/km.


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So e-cars that run on greenpower produce no CO2 at all?

But they dont all romthe sky either.


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74Zero-emission production.The green actory.

The evening sun bathes the rootop solar panels in a iery red glow, as the wind rotates the

wind turbines, rustles the leaves in the energy-wood plantation and ripples the surace o

the rainwater retention basin. Sometimes there can be something almost romantic about a

low-carbon actory.

Where d oes a circle begin and whe re do es it end? T he

answer to this somewhat philosophical question is, o

course: nowhere. The principle behind the perect ve-

hicle production system is exactly the same. Produc-

tion is organised as a sustainable energy and resource

loop. Every drop o water is recycled over and over

again, almost endlessly. The energy used to power the

production lines comes exclusively rom renewable

sources. And it is generated entirely on-site.

What might the low-car bon actor y look like? Most

likely the site would be planted with trees and bushes

that would be used to produce biogas or as a heating

eedstock. The rootops would be studded with solar

panels and the skyline with wind turbines. Because

the model actory would not only consume energy but

produce it as well.

So the goal or new actories o the uture is clear: they

must be resource-eicient, low-emission operations.

But existing actories too oer huge opportunities or

reducing emissions. They must simply be converted

step by step to operate at similar levels o eiciency to

a new actory. O course, emissions reductions on this

scale can only be achieved by adopting a holistic ap-

proach.

The Volkswagen Group has set a target o reducing

carbon emissions rom its actories around the world

by 25% by 2018.

In this we are aiming to take a lead and inspire others

to ollow our example. Because it is only by working

hand in hand with our partners in the supply chain

that we can hope to make even bigger reductions in

the overall carbon ootprint o our vehicles.

The Volkswagen Group is aiming to make its production operations 25 per-

cent more eco-riendly by 2018. In concrete terms, these cuts will relate to

energy and water consumption, emissions and waste. For more i normation,

see www.volkswagenag.com > The Group > Strategy.

Energy strategy

Volkswagen is currently investing

around 600 million in renewable

energy expansion. The aim is to re-

duce the greenhouse gas emissions

associated with our production-rela-

ted energy supplies by 40% by 2020.

New low-CO2 gas-and-steam power

stations, or example at the Kassel

plant, will be used to meet the ener-

gy and heating needs not only o

Volkswagen actories, but o nearby

residential areas as well. Use o solar

panels can likewise bring big energy

savings. For example the 318,000

square-metre solar panel system at

the SEAT plant in Martorell will redu-

ce CO2 emissions by around 6,200

metric tons a year.

Pioneering plants

Thanks to state-o-the-art production

processes and excellent site plan-

ning, the Volkswagen Chattanooga

plant became the irst and only auto-

motive plant in the world to date to

achieve platinum certiication under

the LEED (Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design) programme.

The Ingolstadt plant today recycles

95% o its metallic production waste.

The Chemnitz engine plant recently

received the Factory o the Year 2011

award rom the German trade maga-

zine Produktion1 and management

consultants A .T. Kearney.

Environmentally compatible

production technologies

Environmentally compatible produc-

tion technologies used at Volkswa-

gen include hot-orming. The techni-

cal objective here is to produce body

components oering the same or

even higher strength than conventio-

nally ormed steel components while

at the same time using less material.

By reducing the weight o some com-

ponents by as much as 36%, signii-

cant CO2 savings can be achieved at

the production stage too.

Environmental management

Environmental management systems

are designed to ensure a continuous

improvement in production-related

environmental protection. Environ-

mental management systems have

been in operation at Volkswagen

plants or many years. These systems

are audited in line with the ISO 14001

standard. Virtually all Volkswagen

Group sites are certiied to this stan-

dard.

Since 1995, some o the European

Volkswagen plants have also been ta-

king part in the European Unions

Eco-Management and Audit Scheme

(EMAS). In many respects the require-

ments or EMAS certiication go even

urther than those or ISO 14001.

With our green factory concept,

we are aiming to reduce CO2

emissions at our factories by 25%

for every vehicle produced. And

by collaborating with our part-

ners in the supply chain, we can

extend this goal to all stages of

the production process.55g CO2/km

g CO2/km

Building a car requires a lot of

energy. At the current state of

the art, each electric car has al-

ready generated 74 g CO2/km

before it even hits the road.

1 For more information, see www.produktion.de


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A whole new electric ball game.Green production o electric

components.

The Volkswagen Beetle is the ultimate symbol of perso-

nal mobility. But we need only compare the manufactu-

ring technology used to build Volkswagen Beetles in the

1950s with the technology used to build the Golf thirty

years lat er to realise th at automo tive manuf acturing is

constantly reinventing itself. Now, a further thirty years

on, we are heading for another massive transformation.

Electric cars have a battery instead of a fuel tank, power

electronics instead of a gearbox and magnet-powered

motors instead of pistons and crankshafts and all

these components require energy-intensive develop-

ment, production and assembly.

The extraction of rare earth elements like neodymium,

for example, is a highly energy-intensive process. That

is why it is so important to step up the use o secondary

(recycled) raw materials in order to conserve resour-

ces. Because at the current state of the art, battery pro-

duction and the associated upstream processes ac-

count for around half of all CO2 emissions generated

in the manuacture o an electric vehicle.

Of course, technical progress never stands still. In fu-

ture, new battery cell technologies with a higher

energy density will reduce material consumption per

battery and at the same time improve the carbon foot-

print o battery systems.

However, manufacturing processes can only be im-

proved on the basis of experience. Although electric

mobility is widely considered a revolutionary techno-

logy, manuacturers and suppliers are wisely adopting

an evolutionary approach.

It takes considerably more energy and resources to manuacture a battery system than to

build a plastic uel tank. However, we are working to improve this situation assisted by

joint ve ntures and researc h allian ces with battery manuactu rers.

Battery research alliances

Volkswagen Group Research is colla-

borating with Mnster University to

develop new types o battery cell or

electric vehicles.

The Volkswagen-Varta battery re-

search joint venture was set up to

gain more manuacturing experience

in this area. The aim is to develop ex-

tensive in-house expertise in the

ield o battery technology, leading in

the long run to optimised electric ve-

hicles and processes not least in

terms o their environmental oot-

print.

Electric drivetrain production in

Kassel

At its Kassel plant, Volkswagen is set-

ting up a new production acility or

electric drivetrains. This acility will

act as an international role model or

more environmentally compatible

and employee-riendly production. It

will also serve as a hub or new mate-

rials, new processes and new pro-

ducts, every detail o which will be

ocused on resource-eicient design

and vehicle manuacturing.

Battery production in

Braunschweig

Since 2007, the Braunschweig plant

has been the Volkswagen Centre o

Competence or the development

and manuacture o electric vehicle

battery systems. Among other

things, since 2010 it has also been

home to the pre-production centre

or the electric Gol.

E-Mobility Campus

The E-Mobility Campus symbolises the

Volkswagen brands transition into the

age o electric mobility. Based at the

Wolsburg site, it will act as a training

and development hub or Volkswagen

employees and bring together all the

companys expertise in the eld o elec-

tric mobility.

Employee training

What must employees be aware o

when working with high-voltage

electrical systems on the e-vehicle

production line? To equip them or

their new tasks, Volkswagen emplo-

yees are receiving comprehensive,

ongoing skill training.

New qualiications are already being

added to the existing range o occu-

pational proiles at Volkswagen.

Far rom being just passengers on

our journey into a low-emission u-

ture, our employees are also being

encouraged to put themselves in the

driving seat as change drivers.

Battery-related systems account or a large proportion o overall vehicle CO 2 emissions at the manuacturing stage. So we need to ocus

on the battery cells and the raw materials and processes that go into producing them. The associated emissions are largely due to the

use o materials such as cobalt and copper, where the extraction process is highly energy- and CO2-intensive.

Vehicle manuacturing74 g CO2/km

Battery production33 g CO2/km

Battery cells27 g CO2/km

Peripherals6 g CO2/km

Basic vehicle and electriccomponents 41 g CO2/km

A new uel tank or a new

type o energy the complexity

o a lithium-ion battery pack is

evident at a glance.


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There is a well-known saying that when a butterly laps its wings

on one side o the world, it can cause a hurricane on the other. To

be sure, the reality may not be quite that dramatic, but we do in-

deed live in a connected world. It is not enough to take a local

view or a region al ap proach when operati ng in a net worked and

globalised community, with suppliers across the globe.

Volkswagen has been impleme nting its Sustai nability in Sup-

plier Relations policy ever since 2006. This policy is based on

our key elements:

Sustainability requirements or suppliers, which all su ppliers

must read beore submitting quotes;

An earl y warning system or mini mising ri sk;

A transp arent p rocure ment pro cess;

A supp lier mo nitoring and dev elopm ent pro cess.

The frst step, or all suppliers, is to complete a digital questionnaire.

Expert teams at the individual Group brands and in the dierent re-

gions evaluate the suppliers responses. The ocus is on supplier de-

velopment through d ialogue. Because eorts to achieve sustainabili-

ty can only be successul based on close cooperation to which all

partners are frmly committed. Joint targets will help us in this quest,

along with shared practices and procedures.

To urther improve the environmental perormance o our vehicles

we have thereo re made it mandatory, o r example in VW standard s

91100/04, or our supply chain partners to provide us with Lie Cycle

Assessment d ata about supplied components and assemblies. Over

and above this, we are also involved in a range o sustainability pro-

jects across the world. In this way, the global activities o the

Volkswagen Group and the regional projects at the diere nt sites are

all integrated into a single, unifed ramework.

Seeing the bigger picture.Responsibility doesnt stopat the actory gate.

In this networked and globalised world, we all share acollective responsibility or the conduct o our partners.Only by working together can we achieve our goal osustainable personal mobility.

Its one thing to commit to sustainability in principle.And another to make it a daily way o lie. Volkswagen has chosen the second route.And we are encouraging our suppliers and partners to do the same.

Environmental protection and corporate social responsibility have a long tradition in the Volkswagen Group and are central to the

companys long-term policy. Volkswagen requires its partners all over the world to deliver impeccable quality while also respecting

minimum environmental and social standards.

For more inormation, see www.vwgroupsupply.com > Cooperation > Sustainability.

Volkswagen supports environmental,

educational and health-related pro-

jects all over the wor ld. Further

examples can be ound in our

Sustainability Report, at

www.volkswagenag.com

> Sustainability and Responsibility.

Puebla, Mexico300,000 mountain pines

have been planted to encou-

rage groundwater replenish-

ment and prevent soil erosion

on the slopes o the surroun-

ding volcanoes.

Ingolstadt and Gyr,Hungary

70,000 oaks have been plan-

ted at these and other sites.

In collaboration with Munich

University o Technology,

Audi is studying their impact

on orest eco-systems and

how they are adapting to cli-

mate change.

Ultenhage, South AfricaMore than 8 million is being

spent on a three-year pro-

gramme to help street chil-

dren. The children are given a

place to live,ood to eat and a

good education.

Shanghai, ChinaThe Volkswagen Group China

is supporting local schools by

donating around 800,000

towards events,books and

competitions on the subject

o sustainability. The aim is to

encourage children to take an

interest in environmental

protection.

Mlad Boleslav,Czech Republic

Over the past six years,Skoda

employees have planted

more than 305,000 trees,one

or every vehicle sold in the

Czech Republic.

Raw Materials Analysis

Growth in e-mobility will lead to increased demand or a variety o

raw materials used in vehicles, which could potentially create mar-

ket shortages. Raw Materials Analysis is a tool used by Volkswa-

gen to assess the risks to its raw materials supplies. This early war-

ning system helps to select the most appropriate technologies and

saeguard long-term supplies. In order to obtain an early indication

o corruption risks that could aect resource supplies, Volkswagen

takes part in regular discussions and exchanges with the Extrac-

tive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

Environmental standards for suppliers

Our suppliers undertake to comply with VW standard 01155, VW

standard 99000 and the Standard Components Speciications.

They must also respect the ollowing additional requirements:

Creation and application o environmental management

sytems;

Active dealing with ecological challenges;

Avoidance o damage to health and the environment;

Environmentally riendly waste disposal and recycling;

Employee training in environmental protection.

Volkswagen and NABU

Over the course o more than ten years, Volkswagen and

Germanys largest environmental organisation, NABU (Society or

Nature Conservation), have orged a unique orm o cooperation.

The aim o this relationship, in which mutual respect or the die-

rent interests and standpoints o our two organisations has been

key to achieving a successul working partnership, is to raise public

awareness o environmental and sustainability issues.

Volkswagen Internal Environmental Award

The purpose o the Internal Environmental Award o the

Volkswagen brand is to motivate sustainable behaviour in the

workplace. The award-winning solutions show that environmental

protection has become a way o lie or our employees and that

their commitment goes way beyond the normal course o duty. The

Award commends and pays tribute to the dedication and personal

initiative o employees on matters relating to environmental pro-

tection, both at our German sites and at Group sites within Europe.


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But wont old electric carscreate a new waste problem?

Raw materials are preciousgits too valuable to waste.


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And they all lived happily ever ater.Recycling provides raw materialsor new e-mobility.

Extracting raw materials requires a lot o energy. Smart end-o-lie vehicle recycling solu-

tions enable these valuable raw materials to be recovered. This helps to conserve resourcesand reduce the carbon ootprint o our products.

This is the point where the lie cycle comes ull circle.

In other words, this is where a car ends one lie and

begins another. Today, when a vehicle comes to the

end o its useul lie, virtually none o it needs to be

consigned to the scrap heap.

Ever-increasing market demand means that end-o-

lie vehicles are becoming an important source o raw

materials. Electric vehicles in particular contain some

o the most valuable raw materials o our times, such

as cobalt, rare earth elements and other valuable me-

tals. Recovering these materials at the end o the vehi-

cle lie cycle makes good ecological and economic sen-

se, because materials such as cobalt can be reused

time and again. And while a kilogram o cobalt has a

relatively high carbon and energy ootprint immedia-

tely ater extraction, that ootprint is reduced over the

course o time when the cobalt is recovered by high-

quality recycling processes, minimising the need or

extraction o new material.

In this way, vehicle and component recycling provides

a source o secondary raw materials. These replace

primary raw materials, reducing the need or their

costly extraction and transportation. In the Lie Cycle

Assessm ent, thi s rec ycling earns a cre dit wh ereby the

reduction in uture raw materials extraction is oset

against the vehicles environmental ootprint. So eve-

ry gram o an end-o-lie vehicle that does not have to

be landilled improves its Lie Cycle Assessment.

Vehicle recycling with the Volkswagen SiCon system

Electric vehicles are too valuable to be simply scrapped at the end

o their useul lie. Not only the battery but the rest o the vehicle

as well is a source o raw materials which must be put to good use.

Consequently, recycling techniques are a ocus o ongoing develop-

ment work at Volkswagen.

One such technique is the Volkswagen SiCon process, which is used

to recover raw materials rom end-o-lie vehicle shredder residues.

With the aid o this multi-award-winning process, a 95% recovery

rate can be achieved or end-o-lie vehicles. Once the battery has

been removed, the process is suitable or recycling e-cars too.

LithoRec recycling lithium-ion batteries

Growth in electric mobility will result in increasing numbers o

end-o-lie lithium-ion batteries. Fortunately, high recycling rates

are already achievable or the lithium, cobalt and other metals

contained in these batteries.

The easibility o such recycling has been demonstrated by the Li-

thoRec project, in which Volkswagen is a partner. Tests have shown

that around 90% o the batterys raw materials can be recovered

with the LithoRec processes thereby helping to reduce depen-

dence on imports o raw materials and ensure security o supply.

Subject to appropriate recycling, end-of-life electric

vehicles can serve as a treasure trove of raw mate-rials. The main focus here is on systematic recycling

of valuable metals. In the Life Cycle Assessment, re-

cycling is offset against total life cycle emissions in

the form of a recycling credit. Recycling of the lithi-

um-ion battery brings an overall recycling credit of

10 g CO2/km.

-1og CO2/km

1g CO2/kmVehicle recycling requires energy

too, and this is faithfully recor-

ded in the Life Cycle Assessment.

Waste not, want not: with

the right recycling tech-

niques, electric cars make a

good source of raw materials.


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Strategic planning andimplementation.

Taking a longer view.


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Reducing emissions the Volkswagen e-Mission

Even when it comes to something as simple as buying ruit in our

local supermarket, we question its origin, name and weight. But

what about when it co mes t o b uildin g ca rs? He re t oo every com-

ponent comes rom somewhere, and it comes complete with its

own lie story. The more materials go into making a car, the big-

ger the traces they leave behind. Only by continuously reasses-

sing its products rom every angle can a carmaker continuously

improve their environmental perormance. The instrument used

or this purpose the Lie Cycle Assessment or LCA is thereore

based on the ollowing three pillars.

Vehicle manufacturing

Raw materials extraction and vehicle production

The more efciently raw materials are used, the smaller the volume

o material that needs to be extracted. Manuacturing a vehicle invol-

ves installing a large number o dierent c omponents, and the ma-

nuacturing pathways or all these components must be taken into

account when calculating the carbon ootprint o the fnished pro-

duct. The raw materials extraction and processing stage and the use

phase are the most energy-intensive parts o the vehicle lie cycle.

The ull story.Focusing on every stage o the lie cycle.

We work to improve the environmental perormance o our models across their entire lie cycle. This guideline

relects Volkswagens sel-imposed commitment to environmental protection. We have spelt out this commit-

ment in our Group Environmental Principles Products a commitment to the continuous improvement o our

vehicles at every stage o their lie cycle, with particular reerence to climate protection, resource conservationand healthcare. Manufacturing

Battery

CopperNickel

Cobalt

Lithium

Aluminium

Use phase Recycling

Use phase

Energy pathways and driving emissions

When calcul ating the CO2 emissions o its vehicles in the use

phase, Volkswagen assumes an average lietime mileage o

150,000 kilometres. A well-to-wheel analysis, which looks at the

entire energy chain, allows carbon ootprints to be calculated or

a wide range o dierent uels, or in the case o electric vehicles

or a variety o electricity pathways. For combustion-engined ve-

hicles, the use phase accounts or the largest single raction o

the vehicles total lie cycle CO2 emissions.

Recycling

Disposal, recycling and recovery of materials

The recycling stage is the point where one vehicle lie ends and

another begins. Recycling allows valuable resources to be reused,

thereby reducing the overall energy consumption o the product.

Following the clues

Detective work is all about reconstructing events on the basis o

the evidence let behind. And in the same way that human beings

leave behind traces o DNA, so the consumption o raw materials

always leaves a trail too, in the orm o energy consumption and

the resulting emissions.

The purpose o the Lie Cycle Assessment is to ollow up this trail.

The Lie Cycle Assessment identiies everything that went into the

manuacture o the vehicle. This comprehensive analysis looks

particularly at the environmental ootprint o components, raw

materials and raw material extraction processes. The detective

work c overs virtual ly the entire spectr um o material s used , rom

start to inish, which is why it is sometimes reerred to as a

cradle-to-grave analysis.

The Lie Cycle Assessment begins by taking a critical look at the

individual components o the vehicle. What components are

used, and what materials do they consist o? How much do they

weigh, and how much energy has go ne int o making them? In the

LCA, the low o materials is analysed on the basis o own igures

rom Volkswagen, igures provided by suppliers and standardised

average igures supplied by industry or research institutes.

The above graphic or a simpliied battery system highlights the

complexity o such an analysis. The comparison with detective

work is a go od one. By retraci ng the input material s al l t he way

back to source, all the components and materials used can be

identiied.

The next step is to identiy the main sources o emissions. Which

components take most energy to manuacture, where can im-

provements be made and what materials can be replaced with

more environmentally compatible alternatives?

This approach has already helped to acilitate increased use o

environmentally compatible materials and production methods

within t he Volkswag en Grou p.

Under the magniying glass: tracking the

dierent components back to source

shows how everything is interrelated.

Which resources are used in which mate-

rials? Which materials are used in which

components? And what do the energy

ootprints o each component look like?

In uture, we will develop each model in such a way that, in its entire-

ty, it presents better environmental properties than its predecessor.

More inormation can be ound under Volkswagen Group Environ-

mental Principles Products, at www.volkswagenag.com > I no Center.

Think Blue.

Automakers have responsibilities towards their customers and

towards the environment. Think Blue. is more than just ood or

thought; its a state o mind. Its a global call to action sustaina-

ble ecological action. Electric mobility at the Volkswagen brand is

inspired by Think Blue..

Audi balanced mobility

In its ambitious Audi balanced mobility initi-

ative, Audi is exploring ways o achieving car-

bon-neutral premium mobility. The Audi brand

also publishes Lie Cycle Assessments or indi-

vidual vehicles.

Environmental Commendations

In its Environmental Commendations, the Volkswagen brand documents advances in the environmental peror-

mance o its vehicles and technologies rom one model generation to the next, or compared to reerence models.

This allows customers, shareholders and other stakeholders both inside and outside the company to see what steps

we are taking to improve the environmental quality o our vehicles, components and processes, and what we have

achieved in this respect.


13/15

24 25

Vehicle development targets

A roadmap or the uture must be based on targets. The Volkswagen Group Environmental Principles Products pro-

vide us with a clear sense o direction. These principles are a statement o our commitment to sustainable vehicle

design. For a new orm o mobility. For carbon-neutral mobility.

Group electric mobility strategy

This is an umbrella or all the strategically relevant activities relating to e-mobility in the various parts o the Group.

The Group will soon put electric vehicles into production and aims to be the market leader in the eld by 2018. An

important aim o the Volkswagen Group is to ensure that electric mobility is carbon-neutral by using renewable

energy sources. This underlines our commitment and sense o responsibility in respect o sustainability.

Fuel cell vehicles

Volkswagen is supplying a number o uel cell vehicles to support the Clean Energy Partnership Berlin and Caliornia

Fuel Cell Partnership demonstration programmes. The aim is to demonstrate the everyday practicality o this tech-

nology, using prototypes, and to gain important eedback or ongoing development work.

Electric vehicle fleet trials

In the course o 2011 and 2012, the Volkswagen Group carried out numerous feet trials, in Europe and around the

world, in which elec tric vehicles rom Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles under-

went intensive testing.

e-gas

Surplus wind power is used to generate electricity or electrolysis o hydrogen, which can then be used to power uel

cell vehicles. Alternatively this process can be taken a stage urther and the hydrogen converted into e-gas, a syn-

thetic methane gas. This gas is chemically identical to natural gas and can either be used directly to power internal

combustion engines or can be stored in the public gas grid and then converted back into electrical energy.

Dierent horses or dierent courses, as the saying

goes. Just like conventional cars, electric vehicles will

be able to meet many mobility requirements but not

all. This is no reason to be disappointed.

Ater all, there are limits to the abiliti es o c ombust i-

on-engined models as well.

Electric cars oer a driving range that is suicient to

cover most day-to-day trips. For long distances a plug-

in hybrid is the appropriate solution. These run on

their electric motor around town but on longer jour-

neys the motor is supplemented by an eicient com-

bustion engine.

A u rther possib le al ternativ e o r lo ng-dist ance mobi-

lity would be uel cell vehicles running on renewably

generated hydrogen.

An impo rtant re quirem ent in th e iel d o pe rsonal mo-

bility, particularly or urban users, is lexibility. At the

same time, growing environmental awareness is pa-

ving the way or swit and widespr ead accept ance o

alternative powertrain solutions. In Germany, plans

are in place at national level to ensure a successul

market introduction o electric vehicles. The govern-

ment has announced a target o getting one million

electric cars up and running on German roads by

2020. Since electric mobility will be phased in only

gradually, however, or many years a variety o drive

systems will continue to coexist side by side.

All Volkswagen power train concep ts p ursue the same

target: to conserve uel and energy, and in this way to

reduce CO2 emissions and resource consumption.

Use o SunFuel biouels which do not compete with

ood production, and partial electriication o vehicle

powertrains are among the ways in which vehicle CO2

emissions can be signiicantly reduced. Volkswagen is

pursuing many dierent approaches to powertrain

electriication. The aim is to oer the most appropri-

ate vehicle concept or every individual mobility re-

quirement.

Many roads lead to Rome.The Powertrain and Fuel Strategy.

By oering not just one but a number o dierent vehicle concepts, it is possible to cater

or dierent drivers and dierent requirements. Electric cars are no exception to this rule

and the electric vehicles o the uture will continue to oer a wide range o individual

choice. Since e-mobility solutions are initially aimed at meeting the needs o urban users,

the product range will relect the diversity o todays urban society.

The many dierent powertrain concepts being developed by Volkswagen are all geared to

one and the same goal: zero emissions. Our aim is to reduce the carbon emissions o our

new-car leet by 30 percent by 2015. And every new model generation will on average be

10 to 15 percent more eicient than its predecessor.

Carbon-neutral electricity Fuel cell

Battery power

Plug-in hybrid

Hybrid drive

Internal combustionengineCarbon-neutral fuels (liquid, gaseous)

Conventional electricity

Conventional fuels

Carbon-neutral

and sustainable

mobility


14/15

26 27

The right solution orevery requirement.

On the starting grid.

Electric cars are already a reality in the Volkswagen

Group. In 2012 a limited-production all-electric model

will hit the road, ollow ed in 2 013 by volume -produ c-

tion models. 2014 will see the Volkswagen Group

launch plug-in hybrids, too, ollowed by a steady ex-

pansion o the e-vehicle product range in subsequent

years.

These vehicles will allow

us to achieve signiicant

long-term reductions in

our leet CO2 emissions.

And that s not al l. We are

also pursuing an even

more ambitious objective. Our mission the e-Missi-

on is to build electric cars that achieve zero emissi-

ons across the entire vehicle lie cycle.

Volkswagen is on the wa y to ulil ling t his miss ion and

has already set the stage or the uture. We are com-

mitted to renewable energy as this will enable us to ra-

dically reduce CO2 emissions, not only during the ve-

hicle use phase, but also at the manuacturing stage.

In our eorts to build cars as resource-eiciently as

possible, we analyse our resource pathways in depth.

We are also resear ching advance d re cycling solut ions

or electric components. And we are working closely

with our suppli ers to make electr ic mobilit y as envi-

ronmentally riendly as

possible at every stage in

the production chain.

We ar e t raining our em-

ployees or new tasks

and are engaging and in-

volvi ng them in this

journe y in to the automot ive technol ogy o tomorro w.

And we are devel oping integr ated mobili ty solut ions

in which cars and other modes o transport will work

together in the quest or emission-ree mobility.

In other words, we are doing everything we can to

make the electric car a true zero-emission vehicle. We

are already on our way. The e-Mission has begun.

The e-Mission:

electric mobility with zero emissions

over the ull lie cycle.


15/15

Volkswagen Group

Group Research Environmental Aairs Product in cooperation with Group Electric Traction

P.O. Box 011/1774

38436 Wolsburg

Germany

www.volkswagenag.com/sustainability

Art. No. 27412450118

07/2012

The Lie Cycle Assessment (LCA) on which this brochure is based was independently validated by an

expert panel comprising representatives o TV Nord CERT GmbH, Braunschweig University o Technolo-

gy and PE International AG. The methods and data used in completing this L ie Cycle Assessment conorm

to the requirements o standards DIN EN ISO 14040:2006 and DIN EN ISO 14044:2006. The acts and

igures, LCA results and conclusions are valid and comprehensible.

Documents

Electric Mobility and the Environment