That Chattanooga Sun!

As most of you know (and some of you are about to find out), the Volkswagen automobile factory in Chattanooga Tennessee produces the North American version of the Passat, and is the cleanest car production facility in the world. In December it was officially LEED Platinum certified (the highest level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design by the US Green Building Council) for it's revolutionary painting process and it's clever use of waste water to cool machinery, among other innovative eco-friendly tricks. But, VW isn't finished yet! There's still another surprise jumping out of the Cattanooga plant that you've yet to see!

VW has always been an eco-friendly company, and vowed to become more so back in 2005. They made the promise that they would make their factories 25% more efficient, and lower CO2 emissions across the line-up by 30%! That's a bold statement to make; but then they went further and vowed to have it done by 2015! VW enthusiasts and skeptics alike had a hard time grasping the concept of how the company could make such a drastic change in such a short period of time, but the final piece of the puzzle may have just come onto the table.

Starting in January of 2013, Volkswagen has officially activated it's new 65-acre solar park, featuring 33 acres of photovoltaic solar panels. These solar panels will generate enough electricity to power a little over 350 average American households, which will represent approximately 13% of the factory's total energy needs. It features over 33,000 solar panels, which makes it the largest solar array at any automobile facility, and the largest in the state of Tennessee, pumping out a whopping 9.6 MW of raw power! This is just another example of how Volkswagen is one of the cleanest and greenest car manufacturer's in the world. The sun is always shining on Volkswagen!

Full View of the 65-Acre Solar Park

Getting Ready to "Flip the Switch"

Warning!: You're No Longer Invisible in a Mid-Sized Sedan!

Passat Model Changes!!!

So we've all been looking at the 2013 line-up to see what changes have been made. The 2013 Passat gets no exterior changes (it's a brand new car), but it does get a few changes in the interior and technology departments. Unfortunately, the new model will no longer come standard with Climatronic (Dual Zone Climate Control), this will be a feature reserved for the SEL trim levels. Don't get too sad, though. To make up for it, Volkswagen is now offering a re-designed center console with AC vents in the rear for the SE trim levels and up. They are also adding a new trunk hinge cover over all trim levels. It looks much nicer with this cover on. Also, SEL models equipped with navigation will get an added bonus to their trial subscription of satellite radio. Instead of just 3 months of music, the car will now also come with 4 years of traffic pre-paid! They'll also be getting a back-up camera! Nice!

300k miles.......

Hydraulics are Standard!!!

But not the kind that make your car jump, lol. The new VW lineup, including the Passat, comes up with HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist). This is an incredible feature that helps you stop faster, and better.

Ever been driving and had a car jump out in front of you? Most of us have. In that situation, we usually slam on the brakes, or hesitate and then slam on the brakes. We may even slam on the brakes, and then check up accidentally. Well HBA helps to make sure we stop on time. The system can detect, through the way you press the pedal, whether or not you are in an emergency stopping situation. It does this by measuring the pressure in the brake pedal, and by measuring the pressure gradient (change in pressure over a time interval) to detect an emergency braking situation.

Basically, if the driver doesn't brake hard enough, the HBA system kicks in and adjusts brake pressure to maximum. This will help you stop faster and in a shorter distance! Hydraulics!!!

Check out the next safety tip in the Golf R Blog next time.

Is that the new Passat?

I Dare You to Cross this Line! R-Line, that is.

That's right. Volkswagen has released the 2012 Passat R-Line for many parts of the world (yes, we're still waiting). The car will be offered with more aggressively styled bumpers, sporting air diffusers on both the front and rear. The car will also feature VW's characteristic R-Line badging on the door sills and aluminum pedals. Attached to the rear, you will find a cleverly integrated rear spoiler to help stabilize the car at higher speeds. Offered in both sedan and wagon trims, this Passat is sure to turn heads.