One month after Volkswagen's (VW) emissions testing scandal broke, involving 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide, its Brand Board of Management is publically announcing the company's future plans. After the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) caught the German automaker hacking its own onboard software so its cars would run cleaner in labs than during on-road tests, VW has promised to use more accurate emission control systems, and develop new electric cars and plug-in hybrids.
VW plans to combine AdBlue tech and "selective catalytic reduction" to its cars sold in Europe and North America. This will break down polluting mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx) into nitrogen and water.
The process has a high price tag: $5,000 to $8,000 for each vehicle, according to Wired. However, it can eliminate up to 90 percent of all NOx emissions.
Such tech was allegedly not needed on VW's small cars due to its "clean diesel" tech. That included the Jetta, Beetle, and Audi A3, which are being recalled after failing real-world on-road emissions tests.
VW will also focus on non-diesel technologies including plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs). That includes the second-gen Volkswagen Phaeton, following the first-gen high-performance sedan with a steep $70,000 price tag.
VW's new Phaeton is planned to be a "flagship" electric car with a high single-charge range. Its lineup of green cars will be plug-in hybrids with a high range, and mass-produced electric cars that have a "radius" of 186 miles.
If radius refers to range, the figure is near new mass-marketed electric cars to be launched soon. That includes units from Tesla Motors, General Motors, and Nissan to within the next few years, according to The Motley Fool.
However, there are currently two types of pure e-cars on the market. They include pricey $100,000 Tesla models with a 265-mile range, and smaller vehicles including VW's own e-Golf with 85-mile ranges.
This video is a recap of the VW diesel emissions scandal: