The Bluemotion programme sees VW’s introduction of ‘eco’ models which aim for high mpg ratios and low carbon dioxide emissions. The three door Polo Bluemotion 1 offers 74mpg and just 99g/km of carbon dioxide emissions, and this system is planned to be introduced across the entire model range.

According to VW, the medium-term future of ecological motoring lies with biofuels – therefore they are developing a new type of engine known as the Combined Combustion System (CCS) which blends the best advantages of petrol and diesel into one, and is claimed to be flexible enough to run on so-called ‘designer’ biofuels such as SynFuel and SunFuel, created from sustainable organic crops and natural gases – widespread use of these would significantly reduce the burden on non-sustainable fossil fuels, although there are side effects, such as the rise in price of crops in areas where such organic matter is produced.

VW’s longer view is aimed towards a high temperature hydrogen fuel cell, with the idea being that the fuel cell will power an electric motor that drives the car allowing for silent running and zero exhaust emissions. VW acknowledges that coolant systems for hydrogen cell power cars currently are one of the reasons for high cost of such vehicles, and therefore as a workaround is looking to develop a fuel cell that has a greater tolerance to higher temperatures and thus requires less coolant to maintain energy efficiency.

Volkswagen prides itself on the high environmental standards maintained throughout VW group factories with the majority of them having attained the ISO 14001 certification that encourages good environmental practice.

VW is also well-advanced with fuel cell technology and intends to offer fuel cell vehicles by the middle of the next decade. The company has a policy of building cars that last longer and require servicing less frequently which eases the burden on raw materials. Volkswagen is aiming to include lighter, more recyclable materials in the production of its cars.