2007 Volkswagen Space Up! Concept Review

Specifications

Don’t rub your eyes or scratch your head, as the car you see here is indeed the Volkswagen space up! Concept that was shown just a few weeks ago in Japan at the Tokyo auto show. So, how is it that Volkswagen is claiming that it’s an international debut? Easy – it has to do with what it’s powered by. This, the third of VW’s family of small, rear-engine vehicles is powered by hydrogen, which follows the initial gasoline-powered up! and space up! Concepts quite nicely, and slips neatly into the Los Angeles auto show’s new green theme ideally as well.

The space up! blue is pretty much identical in appearance to the regular space up!, with the exception that it features a different roof. Inspired by the so-called “Samba” Volkswagen vans from the ’50s, the “blue” version features a white-topped roof with several narrow skylight windows that wrap around the edge of the roof. The roof is also raised slightly and is flat-topped, versus the regular space up! which features a roof that’s slightly arched and body color. Elsewhere everything’s the same, with identical aerodynamic wheels, hidden door handles, and a 40/60 split tailgate. There’s a bit of irony to it, mind you. Despite the addition of the name “blue”, the little van isn’t blue at all. Nor, despite its zero emissions, is it green. It’s, er, a sort of beige-gray with a matching interior scheme.


Color and word-play aside, the most important part about this space up! blue is to do with its powerplant, or rather its fuel-cell system. Many manufacturers who have attempted fuel cell programs have run into troubles with physical size, durability, longevity and proper operation due to external temperatures. Volkswagen has found a way to shrink the size of the fuel cell into the tiny rear-mounted engine bay of the space up!, and has also figured out how to make it work under the rigors of normal, daily driving. VW’s solution has to do with phosphoric acid, which raises the operational temperature of the fuel cell, allowing it to operate at its prime. This system is called HT-FC, short for High-Temperature Fuel Cell.

From there on in, the rest of the space up! blue is a lot like a regular fuel cell vehicle in that it features a battery pack and an electric motor. Fitted in such a way as to not impede on the cargo or passenger area, VW has fitted the space up! blue with 12 lithium-ion batteries that have a combined energy of 12 kWh. From there, the stored electricity makes its way to a single electric motor that produces 60 horsepower and 88 lb-ft of torque. It isn’t particularly quick, taking 13.5 seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill, but there are two things to keep in mind – this is a very small vehicle and that it’s much faster than the van that inspired its design.

When the space up! blue uses just pure battery power, Volkswagen claims that it has a range of about 65 miles, enough to cover most peoples’ daily commute. Exceed that, and the fuel cell will kick in to charge the batteries back up. Add the two together and the up! blue’s total range is boosted to 220 miles. Perhaps the best part about driving the space up! blue is that it emits zero grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer driven, as the only thing to come out of its tailpipe is water vapor.

The space up! blue has plug-in capabilities, allowing owners to charge their car whenever it’s not in use to top off the battery, or even better, the hydrogen for the fuel cell can be generated via solar energy, making the process practically emissions free.

On top, the roof features a series of photovoltaic cells that take the light energy from the sun and store it directly in the car’s battery for use to power the accessories or the vehicle itself. While these cells play a minor part in providing power, every little bit counts. This particular idea isn’t new, especially to Californians or those in any of the hot, dry and sunny southern states where solar panel conversions are popular on hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, not to mention those fortunate enough to have purchased an Audi A8 with its integrated solar panel sunroof glass, designed to keep the car cool while parked in the sun. With the space up! or any other solar panel car, just make sure to take your surf boards off the roof when you’re at the beach …

There is a lot of hope and anticipation surrounding the future of the up! vehicle line. What we do know about them is that the first production up! will arrive here in North America by the end of the decade, and that they won’t be powered by hydrogen. Look for a small gasoline engine, or perhaps even a small diesel powerplant. While the space up! blue does demonstrate a huge step forward in terms of fuel cell technology, it is unlikely that North America will be ready to accommodate a fuel cell infrastructure. However, as more and more automakers contribute to RandD, this may change sooner rather than later.

For more information about the space up! please refer to the 2007 Volkswagen space up! Concept story, dated 27/10/07.