As a display of where drivetrain technology might go in the next couple of years, Skoda has previewed the Vision X study car.
Fitted with an innovative hybrid setup that combines compressed natural gas drive – which burns methane and oxygen to power a combustion engine – with a conventional petrol-hybrid drivetrain, the Vision X is built to fit current customer tastes – so is naturally an urban crossover.
Although the concept can only go two kilometres on electric power alone, the combination of CNG and petrol-hybrid powertrains means that the Vision X has emissions of 89g/km.
The CNG setup can drive all four wheels with the compressed gas-powered 1.5-litre G-TEC engine powering the front axle and an electric motor driving the rear. The Vision X has 128bhp and 300Nm of torque at its disposal in CNG mode.
When the CNG has run out, a petrol-powered drivetrain can take over and means the Vision X has a range of over 400 miles.
To help with reducing emissions and using less fuel, the 48-volt lithium ion battery system can recover energy from braking and coasting, meaning that a starter generator can be used to help get away from a standstill as well as for short bursts of speed.
Christian Strube, board member for technical development at Skoda, said: "At Skoda, the developments and preparations for the mobility of tomorrow are in full swing.
"With the Skoda hybrid study, we offer an outlook on the further development of our model range. CNG vehicles are clean and inexpensive. Moreover, with the hybrid, our customers can experience zero-emission driving.”
The Vision X will be officially unveiled at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show on March 6.
