Hybrid

[Crasher]

I have just had an interesting lecture at a college about the new Touareg Hybrid. A couple of points really bugged me though. The battery is only guaranteed for three years by VW although the manufacturer (SONY) guarantees it to VW for ten years but after 5 years or so, when it fails, it costs £7K for the owner to replace it. This battery runs at a nominal voltage of 288v and is the source of power for the starter motor so should it go flat, which it can do after a few months of not being used, the car will not start unless hooked up to a £3k battery charger that only a VW dealer MAY have, not one that they do HAVE to own. Is it just me or does the whole concept seem utterly insane?
This car costs at least £57K and when five years old it will have lost around 70% of its value so a new battery will cost around half what the vehicle is worth for something that saves a few pounds on fuel, madness!

[burkey1]

If your buying one of these for 57k then you are not buying it to save a few quid on fuel bills...

This is for people who want to show that they are part of the greener globe but have actually no idea of what they are buying..

[Crasher]

As I said to the chap giving the talk, it is a cynical political move to take the heat off the owners of 4x4’s, when challenged they can say “ohh but it’s a hybrid”, even though it still puts out 193g of CO2.

[burkey1]

Very true, I bet its still welded to a big V lump!!!!

[Crasher]

No, very modest, a 3 litre 330PS superchrgaed petrol V6…

[burkey1]

Straight out of a cinquecento then!!!!:)

[paul1964]

Sounds about right the way things are going


I have just had an interesting lecture at a college about the new Touareg Hybrid. A couple of points really bugged me though. The battery is only guaranteed for three years by VW although the manufacturer (SONY) guarantees it to VW for ten years but after 5 years or so, when it fails, it costs £7K for the owner to replace it. This battery runs at a nominal voltage of 288v and is the source of power for the starter motor so should it go flat, which it can do after a few months of not being used, the car will not start unless hooked up to a £3k battery charger that only a VW dealer MAY have, not one that they do HAVE to own. Is it just me or does the whole concept seem utterly insane?
This car costs at least £57K and when five years old it will have lost around 70% of its value so a new battery will cost around half what the vehicle is worth for something that saves a few pounds on fuel, madness!