Sustainable mobility must remain the automotive industry's top priority, even when the economic outlook changes. The Volkswagen Group is strongly committed to its ecological responsibilities and is working hard to reduce the CO_2 emissions of its European fleet of new cars to 95 g/km by 2020. To do so, it is adopting a diverse strategy to enhance and improve the whole range of drive trains: from highly efficient TSI and TDI engines to natural-gas drive systems, from the plug-in hybrid to pure electric-drive systems. As far as the established technologies are concerned, there is still considerable potential to improve efficiency. For example, Volkswagen is currently working on a high-performance diesel engine and a new 10-speed dual-clutch gearbox. As far as alternative drive systems are concerned, the plug-in hybrid has the best chance of market success in the medium term. Overall, the key to the success of sustainable mobility solutions is to focus on the customers and their needs. Because it is essential that customers accept the new technologies and, more importantly, are prepared to pay an adequate price for them. Cars such as the Golf BlueMotion, the Audi A3 e-tron, the Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid, and the Volkswagen eco up!, which is powered by natural gas, all send a clear message: Automobiles must remain something that fascinates people, no matter which type of drive system they have.
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