In his forecast of future drive system technologies, Prof Winterkorn stressed that the need for a variety of different drive system technologies over the medium and long-term, ranging from highly efficient internal combustion engines and natural gas systems all the way to hybrids and electric vehicles.

He emphasised that existing internal combustion engines still offer a lot of potential: ‘Since the year 2000, we’ve reduced the fuel consumption of our TDI and TSI engines by more than 30%. I’m convinced that by 2020 we can achieve further increases in efficiency of around 15%.’ Factors making this possible, he said, would include enhancement of the combustion process, intelligent lightweight design, innovative operating strategies and optimisation of friction levels and thermal management.

Volkswagen also sees great potential for natural gas drive systems: ‘The gas engine is environmentally friendly, economical and suitable for everyday use. The technology is fully developed and the vehicles are already on the market.’

As well as offering its current eco-up! – at 79g of CO2/km the world’s most economical natural gas car – the group will be systematically rolling out natural gas technology with the Golf TGI BlueMotion and the Audi A3 g-tron.

Prof Winterkorn added: ‘We need to make the public even more aware of the benefits of natural gas engines. Everyone needs to play their part in this: carmakers, politicians and the fuel industry.’

The carmaker also said that the new group-wide Volkswagen modular component system and its flexible architecture will enable every kind of drive system to be integrated quickly into new models and will help electrically powered motoring to make a breakthrough.

For the medium term the plug-in hybrid is the most promising alternative drive system, thanks to its purely electric range of up to 50 kilometres, a high level of suitability for everyday use by virtue of recharging from a socket at home and also complete flexibility for long journeys thanks to an efficient internal combustion engine. The Volkswagen Group’s first plug-in hybrids, the Porsche Panamera and Audi A3 e-tron, will shortly be going into full production. They will be followed by the Golf and many other models, such as the Passat, Audi A6 and Porsche Cayenne.

Volkswagen also presented new technologies that are finding their way into the modular diesel component system’s future engine generation. These high-performance diesel engines achieve peak power output of 100kW per litre of displacement and have a variable valve-train assembly, a high-pressure injection system at up to 3,000 bar and combined charging with the e-booster.