As one of the world's largest automobile manufacturers, the Volkswagen Group views the development of environmentally friendly vehicles - which are also attractive - to be its main responsibility. But that's not the whole job: it means efficient energy consumption, especially in the production sites and factories.

Until late 2004, the group task force "Energy" worked on developing intelligent programs for energy optimisation and resource preservation. For example, in Wolfsburg - the site of the parent plant of Volkswagen - the biological sewage treatment plants in the factory were optimised through the introduction of improved electric motors. CO2 was cut down annually by an approximate 4.8 tons overall through this project. This is just one example of the vast opportunities for reduction possible in the domain of production locations, which the Volkswagen group has established through its own analyses, performed by one of 140 specially trained experts. The Volkswagen Group occupies a leading role globally in the research and application of alternative drive systems and fuel-saving technologies. Both the series introduction of the powerful yet economical TSI or FSI engines and the highly praised BlueMotion-Technology in the Volkswagen Passat and Volkswagen Polo demonstrate: the researchers and developers of the Volkswagen Group work constantly on the development of economical and practical concepts. Together with Shanghai Volkswagen, a Touran Hybrid will be introduced to the market at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The year 2008 will also see the market introduction of the Audi Q7 with hybrid drive.

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