Equipped with a quick charging function, the E-Bugster battery can be recharged within 35 minutes at suitable charging stations. At home, the battery of the E-Bugster can also be charged from the 120-Volt outlets that are usual in America (or from 230-Volt outlets in Europe). The interface for the charge cable is located below the conventional fuel door position near the C-pillar.

With a new Combined Charging System—which was developed in cooperation with German carmakers Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen as well as American partners Ford and General Motors / Opel (earlier post)—the E-Bugster can be charged via an interface using any of the available charging modalities. Possible are single-phase charging with AC current, and ultra-fast DC charging at charging stations.

This will require the development of a new, uniform industry standard for the plug connectors of future electric vehicles that will be available to all manufacturers. The standardization even goes beyond the plug connector itself: in the Combined Charging System, the charge controller and the electrical architecture must be able to handle all charging types. This will reduce costs and simplify widespread global implementation of electric mobility, Volkswagen points out.

Just how much energy the driver of the E-Bugster is requesting with the ‘electric pedal’ at any moment is shown in a power display. Instruments also include a driving range indicator and a display showing the battery’s charge state. Also new in the Beetle is an instrument that shows the driver the intensity of battery regeneration.

Jetta Hybrid. In the Jetta Hybrid, propulsion is handled by a combination of a four-cylinder 1.4 TSI (110 kW / 148 hp) engine, a 7-speed DSG transmission and an electric motor (20 kW). The hybrid marks the first use in the US of the 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.

At the press of a button, the Jetta Hybrid can be driven in a pure electric mode up to a speed of 70 km/h (43 mph) and a distance of two kilometers (1.2 miles). (The Jetta Hybrid runs in electric mode at speeds up to 37 mph (60 km/h) if the motor engages automatically.) The Jetta Hybrid is now the second Volkswagen, after the Touareg, to have a drive module consisting of both a gasoline engine and an electric motor.

As in the Touareg Hybrid SUV, the Jetta Hybrid features a clutch that decouples the gasoline engine from the drivetrain when in pure electric or coasting modes.

A 1.1 kWh, 220V Li-ion air-cooled battery pack supplies the energy to the motor. Housed under the rear bench seat, the battery pack weighs less than 80 lb (36 kg) and comprises 60 individual cells with a combined energy capacity of 5 Ah.

Estimated combined fuel economy for the hybrid is 45 mpg (5.2 L/100km)—about 20% better than a similarly powered sedan with a conventional drivetrain, Volkswagen says. In city traffic, the fuel economy advantage climbs to a little more than 30%. Acceleration from 0-60 mph takes less than 9 seconds.