The e-Mission.
Electric Mobility and the Environment.
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Change is coming.
Not only out on the road …
We are on a mission – an e-Mission, where “e” stands for electric.
Electric mobility is on its way – electric mobility from Volkswagen.
Electric powertrains hold the key to long-term sustainable mobility.
Fleet trials have already been successfully completed. And the first
volume-production all-electric vehicles of Volkswagen Group will
soon be taking to the road.
Volkswagen has designated 2013 the Year of the Electric Car. But get-
ting an electric vehicle on the road is only one side of the coin. Elec-
tric vehicles from Volkswagen need to form part of an approach that
takes a wider range of issues into account. Volkswagen stands for res-
ponsible business practices towards its employees, towards society
and towards the environment. Ultimately, our aim is to become the
world’s most eco-friendly automaker.
We are well aware that elec-
tric mobility is more than
just a new form of propul-
sion. It is also one that will
massively change the car as
we know it, the way it is used and the way it is manufactured. New re-
sources and materials will be required, from lithium for the batte-
ries to neodymium for the electric motors. Production systems will
have to be restructured and employees will have to be trained to work
with new electric technology and components.
In other words, we are facing an automotive sea change. Electric mo-
bility is changing the way we think. We will have to think hard, for
example, about fundamental questions such as: what raw materials
Dr. Rudolf Krebs
Group Chief Officer for
Electric Traction
and resources offer the best long-term prospects? What is the best
way of minimising manufacturing emissions for electric compo-
nents? And above all: how will the electricity to power the electric
cars of the future be generated? And how will this affect the overall
environmental footprint of electric mobility?
This brochure sets out our answers to many of these questions. Be-
cause we are not only looking to build electric cars. We will also be
delivering responsible solutions that address the wider implications
and infrastructure of electric mobility. Obviously an electric car is
emission-free at the point of use. But for Volkswagen, the responsibi-
lity does not stop there. We are raising the bar substantially in terms
of sustainability. Our aim is to ensure that electric mobility is carbon-
neutral over the entire vehicle
life cycle.
In other words, targeting zero
emissions is our e-Mission.
The e-Mission is based on our
life-cycle-oriented approach to
environmentally sustainable product development, which is firmly
anchored in our corporate principles. This approach highlights not
only the more familiar environmental impacts of the car, but also the
less obvious ones, impacts which at first glance might appear unrela-
ted to the automobile and road traffic. Particularly at a time of farrea-
ching change in the automotive industry, this work throws up impor-
tant and fascinating challenges, the most exciting of which are set
out in this brochure.
Dr. Rudolf Krebs, Wolfram Thomas
»Electric cars run with zero emissions.«
»So e-cars that run on green power produce no CO2 at all?«
»But won’t old e-cars create a new waste problem?«
… but also in the way









we think.
Wolfram Thomas
Group Chief Officer for
the Environment, Energy
and New Business Areas
We are raising the bar substantially
in terms of sustainability.
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»Electric cars run with
zero emissions.«
But electricity doesn’t
grow on trees.
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Electricity has the power.
But for electric cars, some kinds
of power are better than others.
Wind energy is one of the big hopes of the future for electric vehicles. The annual output of
a single 2-MW wind turbine would be enough to keep over 4,000 electric cars charged for a
year, assuming an average annual mileage of 10,000 kilometres.
Electric cars are emission-free at the point of use. But
how do things look when we trace the electricity back
to its source? Do we even know where the energy
we’re putting into electric cars comes from?
Some of us might simply say the electricity comes from
a socket in the wall. And indeed, it can often be diffi-
cult to be more precise than that. After all, each coun-
try and region has its own generation mix. For exam-
ple a typical compact-class electric car running on the
average European electricity mix would emit 88 g CO2
per kilometre. This is less than most combustion-
engined vehicles, but not much less.
In some countries, though, the picture is very diffe-
rent. China, for example, produces more than three
quarters of its electricity from coal, and the USA
around half. So an electric car charged from the natio-
nal grid in one of these countries actually generates
more CO2 emissions than a petrol-engined car.
In China, it would emit 184 grams of CO2 per kilome-
tre, almost twice as much as a fuel-efficient diesel mo-
del. The same electric car charged at an average
German household power socket would lead to CO2
emissions of around 112 grams per kilometre.
However, if that electricity was sourced exclusively
from wind turbines, those emissions would fall to no
more than one gram per kilometre.
For Volkswagen, therefore, it is clear that the goal
must be to charge electric cars solely from regenera-
tive sources. And the proof that green power is indeed
one hundred percent physically generated renewable
power can be provided by certificates of origin.

In sum, to offer a truly eco-friendly solution in terms
of overall emissions – and not just at the point of use –
electric cars must be powered by electricity from
renewable energy sources.
Renewable electricity
VW Kraftwerk GmbH made green power
available for the German fleet trials of the
electric Golf in 2011/2012. This 100% renew-
able electricity is sourced for example from
hydroelectric power plants in the Alps. Cer-
tificates of origin for this power were is-
sued by the TÜV NORD technical specifica-
tion body.
Audi AG is investing in an offshore wind
turbine project in the North Sea. These tur-
bines are currently generating around
53 GWh of power a year. This amount of
power would meet the requirements of a
medium-sized city for a whole year, or keep
almost 30,000 electric cars running for
10,000 kilometres.
Charging infrastructure
For Volkswagen there is more to electric
mobility than building electric vehicles. We
also look at wider issues such as the char-
ging infrastructure. The ideal solution here
is a garage- or carport-installed wallbox
charger.
The Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg has its
own on-site electric charging station. This
pioneering facility generates its own power
from wind and solar energy and stores it in
a state-of-the-art battery system.

Swarm power
In future, e-cars could further assist the en-
ergy revolution by taking on an additional
role as energy storage buffers. Wind energy,
for example, is not always available when it’s
needed. So cars recharged overnight with
wind energy could feed back some of this
buffered electricity. Volkswagen is working
closely with partner companies and research
establishments to develop appropriate solu-
tions. In another approach to decentralized
“swarm” power, Volkswagen EcoBlue com-
bined heat and power plants could likewise
be used as a way of meeting peak demand.
These can be operated on natural gas or bio-
gas, and can therefore make a significant
contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.
However, if the electricity is ge-
nerated entirely from renewable
sources, emissions show a steep
fall. Wind power has a footprint
of just 1 g CO2/km. These emis-
sions are generated during the
production and servicing of the
turbines.
g CO2/km
More background on the CO2
statistics can be found at:
www.volkswagenag.com
> Sustainability and Responsibility.
88g CO2/km
Electricity first has to be generated –
using either renewable or fossil feed-
stocks. And because electricity genera-
tion inevitably produces CO2, it follows
that electric cars have a carbon footprint
too. Based on the European generation
mix, this footprint works out at an ave-
rage of 88 g CO2/km.
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»So e-cars that run on green
power produce no CO2 at all?«

But they don’t fall from
the sky either.
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74
Zero-emission production.
The green factory.
The evening sun bathes the rooftop solar panels in a fiery red glow, as the wind rotates the
wind turbines, rustles the leaves in the “energy-wood” plantation and ripples the surface of
the rainwater retention basin. Sometimes there can be something almost romantic about a
low-carbon factory.
Where does a circle begin and where does it end? The
answer to this somewhat philosophical question is, of
course: nowhere. The principle behind the perfect ve-
hicle production system is exactly the same. Produc-
tion is organised as a sustainable energy and resource
loop. Every drop of water is recycled over and over
again, almost endlessly. The energy used to power the
production lines comes exclusively from renewable
sources. And it is generated entirely on-site.
What might the low-carbon factory look like? Most
likely the site would be planted with trees and bushes
that would be used to produce biogas or as a heating
feedstock. The rooftops would be studded with solar
panels and the skyline with wind turbines. Because
the model factory would not only consume energy but
produce it as well.
So the goal for new factories of the future is clear: they
must be resource-efficient, low-emission operations.
But existing factories too offer huge opportunities for
reducing emissions. They must simply be converted
step by step to operate at similar levels of efficiency to
a new factory. Of course, emissions reductions on this
scale can only be achieved by adopting a holistic ap-
proach.
The Volkswagen Group has set a target of reducing
carbon emissions from its factories around the world
by 25% by 2018.




In this we are aiming to take a lead and inspire others
to follow our example. Because it is only by working
hand in hand with our partners in the supply chain
that we can hope to make even bigger reductions in
the overall carbon footprint of our vehicles.
The Volkswagen Group is aiming to make its production operations 25 per-
cent more eco-friendly by 2018. In concrete terms, these cuts will relate to
energy and water consumption, emissions and waste. For more information,
see www.volkswagenag.com > The Group > Strategy.

Energy strategy
Volkswagen is currently investing
around €600 million in renewable
energy expansion. The aim is to re-
duce the greenhouse gas emissions
associated with our production-rela-
ted energy supplies by 40% by 2020.
New low-CO2 gas-and-steam power
stations, for example at the Kassel
plant, will be used to meet the ener-
gy and heating needs not only of
Volkswagen factories, but of nearby
residential areas as well. Use of solar
panels can likewise bring big energy
savings. For example the 318,000
square-metre solar panel system at
the SEAT plant in Martorell will redu-
ce CO2 emissions by around 6,200
metric tons a year.
Pioneering plants
Thanks to state-of-the-art production
processes and excellent site plan-
ning, the Volkswagen Chattanooga
plant became the first and only auto-
motive plant in the world to date to
achieve platinum certification under
the LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) programme.
The Ingolstadt plant today recycles
95% of its metallic production waste.
The Chemnitz engine plant recently
received the “Factory of the Year 2011”
award from the German trade maga-
zine “Produktion”1 and management
consultants A.T. Kearney.
Environmentally compatible
production technologies
Environmentally compatible produc-
tion technologies used at Volkswa-
gen include hot-forming. The techni-
cal objective here is to produce body
components offering the same or
even higher strength than conventio-
nally formed steel components while
at the same time using less material.
By reducing the weight of some com-
ponents by as much as 36%, signifi-
cant CO2 savings can be achieved at
the production stage too.
Environmental management
Environmental management systems
are designed to ensure a continuous
improvement in production-related
environmental protection. Environ-
mental management systems have
been in operation at Volkswagen
plants for many years. These systems
are audited in line with the ISO 14001
standard. Virtually all Volkswagen
Group sites are certified to this stan-
dard.
Since 1995, some of the European
Volkswagen plants have also been ta-
king part in the European Union‘s
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
(EMAS). In many respects the require-
ments for EMAS certification go even
further than those for ISO 14001.
With our green factory concept,
we are aiming to reduce CO2
emissions at our factories by 25%
for every vehicle produced. And
by collaborating with our part-
ners in the supply chain, we can
extend this goal to all stages of
the production process.
55
g CO2/km
g CO2/km
Building a car requires a lot of
energy. At the current state of
the art, each electric car has al-
ready generated 74 g CO2/km
before it even hits the road.
1 For more information, see www.produktion.de
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A whole new electric ball game.
Green production of electric
components.
The Volkswagen Beetle is the ultimate symbol of perso-
nal mobility. But we need only compare the manufactu-
ring technology used to build Volkswagen Beetles in the
1950s with the technology used to build the Golf thirty
years later to realise that automotive manufacturing is
constantly reinventing itself. Now, a further thirty years
on, we are heading for another massive transformation.
Electric cars have a battery instead of a fuel tank, power
electronics instead of a gearbox and magnet-powered
motors instead of pistons and crankshafts – and all
these components require energy-intensive develop-
ment, production and assembly.
The extraction of rare earth elements like neodymium,
for example, is a highly energy-intensive process. That
is why it is so important to step up the use of secondary
(recycled) raw materials in order to conserve resour-
ces. Because at the current state of the art, battery pro-
duction and the associated upstream processes ac-
count for around half of all CO2 emissions generated
in the manufacture of an electric vehicle.
Of course, technical progress never stands still. In fu-
ture, new battery cell technologies with a higher
energy density will reduce material consumption per
battery – and at the same time improve the carbon foot-
print of battery systems.
However, manufacturing processes can only be im-
proved on the basis of experience. Although electric
mobility is widely considered a “revolutionary” techno-
logy, manufacturers and suppliers are wisely adopting
an evolutionary approach.
It takes considerably more energy and resources to manufacture a battery system than to
build a plastic fuel tank. However, we are working to improve this situation – assisted by
joint ventures and research alliances with battery manufacturers.
Battery research alliances
Volkswagen Group Research is colla-
borating with Münster University to
develop new types of battery cell for
electric vehicles.
The Volkswagen-Varta battery re-
search joint venture was set up to
gain more manufacturing experience
in this area. The aim is to develop ex-
tensive in-house expertise in the
field of battery technology, leading in
the long run to optimised electric ve-
hicles and processes – not least in
terms of their environmental foot-
print.
Electric drivetrain production in
Kassel

At its Kassel plant, Volkswagen is set-
ting up a new production facility for
electric drivetrains. This facility will
act as an international role model for
more environmentally compatible
and employee-friendly production. It
will also serve as a hub for new mate-
rials, new processes and new pro-
ducts, every detail of which will be
focused on resource-efficient design
and vehicle manufacturing.
Battery production in
Braunschweig

Since 2007, the Braunschweig plant
has been the Volkswagen Centre of
Competence for the development
and manufacture of electric vehicle
battery systems. Among other
things, since 2010 it has also been
home to the pre-production centre
for the electric Golf.
E-Mobility Campus
The E-Mobility Campus symbolises the
Volkswagen brand’s transition into the
age of electric mobility. Based at the
Wolfsburg site, it will act as a training
and development hub for Volkswagen
employees and bring together all the
company’s expertise in the field of elec-
tric mobility.
Employee training
What must employees be aware of
when working with high-voltage
electrical systems on the e-vehicle
production line? To equip them for
their new tasks, Volkswagen emplo-
yees are receiving comprehensive,
ongoing skill training.

New qualifications are already being
added to the existing range of occu-
pational profiles at Volkswagen.
Far from being just “passengers” on
our journey into a low-emission fu-
ture, our employees are also being
encouraged to put themselves in the
driving seat as change drivers.
Battery-related systems account for a large proportion of overall vehicle CO2 emissions at the manufacturing stage. So we need to focus
on the battery cells and the raw materials and processes that go into producing them. The associated emissions are largely due to the
use of materials such as cobalt and copper, where the extraction process is highly energy- and CO2-intensive.
Vehicle manufacturing
74 g CO2/km
Battery production
33 g CO2/km
Battery cells
27 g CO2/km
Peripherals
6 g CO2/km
Basic vehicle and electric
components 41 g CO2/km
A new “fuel tank” for a new
type of energy – the complexity
of a lithium-ion battery pack is
evident at a glance.
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There is a well-known saying that when a butterfly flaps its wings
on one side of the world, it can cause a hurricane on the other. To
be sure, the reality may not be quite that dramatic, but we do in-
deed live in a connected world. It is not enough to take a local
view or a regional approach when operating in a networked and
globalised community, with suppliers across the globe.
Volkswagen has been implementing its “Sustainability in Sup-
plier Relations” policy ever since 2006. This policy is based on
four key elements:
• Sustainability requirements for suppliers, which all suppliers
must read before submitting quotes;
• An early warning system for minimising risk;
• A transparent procurement process;
• A supplier monitoring and development process.
The first step, for all suppliers, is to complete a digital questionnaire.
Expert teams at the individual Group brands and in the different re-
gions evaluate the suppliers’ responses. The focus is on supplier de-
velopment through dialogue. Because efforts to achieve sustainabili-
ty can only be successful based on close cooperation to which all
partners are firmly committed. Joint targets will help us in this quest,
along with shared practices and procedures.
To further improve the environmental performance of our vehicles
we have therefore made it mandatory, for example in VW standards
91100/04, for our supply chain partners to provide us with Life Cycle
Assessment data about supplied components and assemblies. Over
and above this, we are also involved in a range of sustainability pro-
jects across the world. In this way, the global activities of the
Volkswagen Group and the regional projects at the different sites are
all integrated into a single, unified framework.
Seeing the bigger picture.
Responsibility doesn‘t stop
at the factory gate.
In this networked and globalised world, we all share a
collective responsibility for the conduct of our partners.
Only by working together can we achieve our goal of
sustainable personal mobility.
It‘s one thing to commit to sustainability in principle.
And another to make it a daily way of life. Volkswagen has chosen the second route.
And we are encouraging our suppliers and partners to do the same.
Environmental protection and corporate social responsibility have a long tradition in the Volkswagen Group and are central to the
company‘s long-term policy. Volkswagen requires its partners all over the world to deliver impeccable quality while also respecting
minimum environmental and social standards.
For more information, see www.vwgroupsupply.com > Cooperation > Sustainability.
Volkswagen supports environmental,
educational and health-related pro-
jects all over the world. Further
examples can be found in our
Sustainability Report, at
www.volkswagenag.com
> Sustainability and Responsibility.
Puebla, Mexico
300,000 mountain pines
have been planted to encou-
rage groundwater replenish-
ment and prevent soil erosion
on the slopes of the surroun-
ding volcanoes.
Ingolstadt and Györ,
Hungary
70,000 oaks have been plan-
ted at these and other sites.
In collaboration with Munich
University of Technology,
Audi is studying their impact
on forest eco-systems and
how they are adapting to cli-
mate change.
Ultenhage, South Africa
More than €8 million is being
spent on a three-year pro-
gramme to help street chil-
dren. The children are given a
place to live, food to eat and a
good education.
Shanghai, China
The Volkswagen Group China
is supporting local schools by
donating around €800,000
towards events, books and
competitions on the subject
of sustainability. The aim is to
encourage children to take an
interest in environmental
protection.
Mladá Boleslav,
Czech Republic
Over the past six years, Skoda
employees have planted
more than 305,000 trees, one
for every vehicle sold in the
Czech Republic.
Raw Materials Analysis
Growth in e-mobility will lead to increased demand for a variety of
raw materials used in vehicles, which could potentially create mar-
ket shortages. „Raw Materials Analysis“ is a tool used by Volkswa-
gen to assess the risks to its raw materials supplies. This early war-
ning system helps to select the most appropriate technologies and
safeguard long-term supplies. In order to obtain an early indication
of corruption risks that could affect resource supplies, Volkswagen
takes part in regular discussions and exchanges with the Extrac-
tive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
Environmental standards for suppliers
Our suppliers undertake to comply with VW standard 01155, VW
standard 99000 and the Standard Components Specifications.
They must also respect the following additional requirements:
• Creation and application of environmental management
sytems;
• Active dealing with ecological challenges;
• Avoidance of damage to health and the environment;
•
Environmentally friendly waste disposal and recycling;
•
Employee training in environmental protection.
Volkswagen and NABU
Over the course of more than ten years, Volkswagen and
Germany’s largest environmental organisation, NABU (Society for
Nature Conservation), have forged a unique form of cooperation.
The aim of this relationship, in which mutual respect for the diffe-
rent interests and standpoints of our two organisations has been
key to achieving a successful working partnership, is to raise public
awareness of environmental and sustainability issues.
Volkswagen Internal Environmental Award
The purpose of the Internal Environmental Award of the
Volkswagen brand is to motivate sustainable behaviour in the
workplace. The award-winning solutions show that environmental
protection has become a way of life for our employees and that
their commitment goes way beyond the normal course of duty. The
Award commends and pays tribute to the dedication and personal
initiative of employees on matters relating to environmental pro-
tection, both at our German sites and at Group sites within Europe.
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»But won’t old electric cars
create a new waste problem?«
Raw materials are precious
gifts – too valuable to waste.
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And they all lived happily ever after.
Recycling provides raw materials
for new e-mobility.
Extracting raw materials requires a lot of energy. Smart end-of-life vehicle recycling solu-
tions enable these valuable raw materials to be recovered. This helps to conserve resources
and reduce the carbon footprint of our products.
This is the point where the life cycle comes full circle.
In other words, this is where a car ends one life and
begins another. Today, when a vehicle comes to the
end of its useful life, virtually none of it needs to be
consigned to the scrap heap.
Ever-increasing market demand means that end-of-
life vehicles are becoming an important source of raw
materials. Electric vehicles in particular contain some
of the most valuable raw materials of our times, such
as cobalt, rare earth elements and other valuable me-
tals. Recovering these materials at the end of the vehi-
cle life cycle makes good ecological and economic sen-
se, because materials such as cobalt can be reused
time and again. And while a kilogram of cobalt has a
relatively high carbon and energy footprint immedia-
tely after extraction, that footprint is reduced over the
course of time when the cobalt is recovered by high-
quality recycling processes, minimising the need for
extraction of new material.
In this way, vehicle and component recycling provides
a source of “secondary” raw materials. These replace
primary raw materials, reducing the need for their
costly extraction and transportation. In the Life Cycle
Assessment, this recycling earns a credit whereby the
reduction in future raw materials extraction is offset
against the vehicle‘s environmental footprint. So eve-
ry gram of an end-of-life vehicle that does not have to
be landfilled improves its Life Cycle Assessment.
Vehicle recycling with the Volkswagen SiCon system
Electric vehicles are too valuable to be simply scrapped at the end
of their useful life. Not only the battery but the rest of the vehicle
as well is a source of raw materials which must be put to good use.
Consequently, recycling techniques are a focus of ongoing develop-
ment work at Volkswagen.
One such technique is the Volkswagen SiCon process, which is used
to recover raw materials from end-of-life vehicle shredder residues.
With the aid of this multi-award-winning process, a 95% recovery
rate can be achieved for end-of-life vehicles. Once the battery has
been removed, the process is suitable for recycling e-cars too.
LithoRec – recycling lithium-ion batteries
Growth in electric mobility will result in increasing numbers of
end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. Fortunately, high recycling rates
are already achievable for the lithium, cobalt and other metals
contained in these batteries.
The feasibility of such recycling has been demonstrated by the Li-
thoRec project, in which Volkswagen is a partner. Tests have shown
that around 90% of the battery‘s raw materials can be recovered
with the LithoRec processes – thereby helping to reduce depen-
dence on imports of raw materials and ensure security of supply.
Subject to appropriate recycling, end-of-life electric
vehicles can serve as a treasure trove of raw mate-
rials. The main focus here is on systematic recycling
of valuable metals. In the Life Cycle Assessment, re-
cycling is offset against total life cycle emissions in
the form of a recycling credit. Recycling of the lithi-
um-ion battery brings an overall recycling credit of
10 g CO2/km.
-1
g CO2/km
1g CO2/km
Vehicle recycling requires energy
too, and this is faithfully recor-
ded in the Life Cycle Assessment.
Waste not, want not: with
the right recycling tech-
niques, electric cars make a
good source of raw materials.
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Strategic planning and
implementation.
Taking a longer view.
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Reducing emissions – the Volkswagen e-Mission
Even when it comes to something as simple as buying fruit in our
local supermarket, we question its origin, name and weight. But
what about when it comes to building cars? Here too every com-
ponent comes from somewhere, and it comes complete with its
own life story. The more materials go into making a car, the big-
ger the traces they leave behind. Only by continuously reasses-
sing its products from every angle can a carmaker continuously
improve their environmental performance. The instrument used
for this purpose – the Life Cycle Assessment or LCA – is therefore
based on the following three pillars.
Vehicle manufacturing
Raw materials extraction and vehicle production
The more efficiently raw materials are used, the smaller the volume
of material that needs to be extracted. Manufacturing a vehicle invol-
ves installing a large number of different components, and the ma-
nufacturing pathways for all these components must be taken into
account when calculating the carbon footprint of the finished pro-
duct. The raw materials extraction and processing stage and the use
phase are the most energy-intensive parts of the vehicle life cycle.
The full story.
Focusing on every stage of the life cycle.
We work to improve the environmental performance of our models across their entire life cycle. This guideline
reflects Volkswagen‘s self-imposed commitment to environmental protection. We have spelt out this commit-
ment in our Group Environmental Principles Products – a commitment to the continuous improvement of our
vehicles at every stage of their life cycle, with particular reference to climate protection, resource conservation
and healthcare.
Manufacturing
Battery
Copper
Nickel
Cobalt
Lithium
Aluminium
Use phase
Recycling
Use phase
Energy pathways and driving emissions
When calculating the CO2 emissions of its vehicles in the use
phase, Volkswagen assumes an average lifetime mileage of
150,000 kilometres. A well-to-wheel analysis, which looks at the
entire energy chain, allows carbon footprints to be calculated for
a wide range of different fuels, or in the case of electric vehicles
for a variety of electricity pathways. For combustion-engined ve-
hicles, the use phase accounts for the largest single fraction of
the vehicle’s total life cycle CO2 emissions.
Recycling
Disposal, recycling and recovery of materials
The recycling stage is the point where one vehicle life ends and
another begins. Recycling allows valuable resources to be reused,
thereby reducing the overall energy consumption of the product.
Following the clues
Detective work is all about reconstructing events on the basis of
the evidence left behind. And in the same way that human beings
leave behind traces of DNA, so the consumption of raw materials
always leaves a trail too, in the form of energy consumption and
the resulting emissions.
The purpose of the Life Cycle Assessment is to follow up this trail.
The Life Cycle Assessment identifies everything that went into the
manufacture of the vehicle. This comprehensive analysis looks
particularly at the environmental footprint of components, raw
materials and raw material extraction processes. The detective
work covers virtually the entire spectrum of materials used, from
start to finish, which is why it is sometimes referred to as a
cradle-to-grave analysis.
The Life Cycle Assessment begins by taking a critical look at the
individual components of the vehicle. What components are
used, and what materials do they consist of? How much do they



weigh, and how much energy has gone into making them? In the
LCA, the flow of materials is analysed on the basis of own figures
from Volkswagen, figures provided by suppliers and standardised
average figures supplied by industry or research institutes.

The above graphic for a simplified battery system highlights the
complexity of such an analysis. The comparison with detective
work is a good one. By retracing the input materials all the way
back to source, all the components and materials used can be
identified.
The next step is to identify the main sources of emissions. Which
components take most energy to manufacture, where can im-
provements be made and what materials can be replaced with
more environmentally compatible alternatives?


This approach has already helped to facilitate increased use of
environmentally compatible materials and production methods
within the Volkswagen Group.
Under the magnifying glass: tracking the
different components back to source
shows how everything is interrelated.
Which resources are used in which mate-
rials? Which materials are used in which
components? And what do the energy
footprints of each component look like?
“In future, we will develop each model in such a way that, in its entire-
ty, it presents better environmental properties than its predecessor.“
More information can be found under Volkswagen Group Environ-
mental Principles Products, at www.volkswagenag.com > Info Center.
Think Blue.
Automakers have responsibilities – towards their customers and
towards the environment. “Think Blue.” is more than just food for
thought; it’s a state of mind. It’s a global call to action – sustaina-
ble ecological action. Electric mobility at the Volkswagen brand is
inspired by “Think Blue.”.
Audi balanced mobility
In its ambitious “Audi balanced mobility” initi-
ative, Audi is exploring ways of achieving car-
bon-neutral premium mobility. The Audi brand
also publishes Life Cycle Assessments for indi-
vidual vehicles.
Environmental Commendations
In its Environmental Commendations, the Volkswagen brand documents advances in the environmental perfor-
mance of its vehicles and technologies from one model generation to the next, or compared to reference models.
This allows customers, shareholders and other stakeholders both inside and outside the company to see what steps
we are taking to improve the environmental quality of our vehicles, components and processes, and what we have
achieved in this respect.
24
25
Vehicle development targets
A roadmap for the future must be based on targets. The Volkswagen “Group Environmental Principles Products” pro-
vide us with a clear sense of direction. These principles are a statement of our commitment to sustainable vehicle
design. For a new form of mobility. For carbon-neutral mobility.
Group electric mobility strategy
This is an umbrella for all the strategically relevant activities relating to e-mobility in the various parts of the Group.
The Group will soon put electric vehicles into production and aims to be the market leader in the field by 2018. An
important aim of the Volkswagen Group is to ensure that electric mobility is carbon-neutral by using renewable
energy sources. This underlines our commitment and sense of responsibility in respect of sustainability.
Fuel cell vehicles
Volkswagen is supplying a number of fuel cell vehicles to support the Clean Energy Partnership Berlin and California
Fuel Cell Partnership demonstration programmes. The aim is to demonstrate the everyday practicality of this tech-
nology, using prototypes, and to gain important feedback for ongoing development work.
Electric vehicle fleet trials
In the course of 2011 and 2012, the Volkswagen Group carried out numerous fleet trials, in Europe and around the
world, in which electric vehicles from Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles under-
went intensive testing.
e-gas
Surplus wind power is used to generate electricity for electrolysis of hydrogen, which can then be used to power fuel
cell vehicles. Alternatively this process can be taken a stage further and the hydrogen converted into „e-gas“, a syn-
thetic methane gas. This gas is chemically identical to natural gas and can either be used directly to power internal
combustion engines or can be stored in the public gas grid and then converted back into electrical energy.
Different horses for different courses, as the saying
goes. Just like conventional cars, electric vehicles will
be able to meet many mobility requirements – but not
all. This is no reason to be disappointed.

After all, there are limits to the abilities of combusti-
on-engined models as well.
Electric cars offer a driving range that is sufficient to
cover most day-to-day trips. For long distances a plug-
in hybrid is the appropriate solution. These run on
their electric motor around town but on longer jour-
neys the motor is supplemented by an efficient com-
bustion engine.
A further possible alternative for long-distance mobi-
lity would be fuel cell vehicles running on renewably
generated hydrogen.
An important requirement in the field of personal mo-
bility, particularly for urban users, is flexibility. At the
same time, growing environmental awareness is pa-
ving the way for swift and widespread acceptance of
alternative powertrain solutions. In Germany, plans
are in place at national level to ensure a successful
market introduction of electric vehicles. The govern-
ment has announced a target of getting one million
electric cars up and running on German roads by
2020. Since electric mobility will be phased in only
gradually, however, for many years a variety of drive
systems will continue to coexist side by side.
All Volkswagen powertrain concepts pursue the same
target: to conserve fuel and energy, and in this way to
reduce CO2 emissions and resource consumption.
Use of SunFuel biofuels which do not compete with
food production, and partial electrification of vehicle
powertrains are among the ways in which vehicle CO2
emissions can be significantly reduced. Volkswagen is
pursuing many different approaches to powertrain
electrification. The aim is to offer the most appropri-
ate vehicle concept for every individual mobility re-
quirement.
Many roads lead to Rome.
The Powertrain and Fuel Strategy.
By offering not just one but a number of different vehicle concepts, it is possible to cater
for different drivers and different requirements. Electric cars are no exception to this rule
– and the electric vehicles of the future will continue to offer a wide range of individual
choice. Since e-mobility solutions are initially aimed at meeting the needs of urban users,
the product range will reflect the diversity of today’s urban society.
The many different powertrain concepts being developed by Volkswagen are all geared to
one and the same goal: zero emissions. Our aim is to reduce the carbon emissions of our
new-car fleet by 30 percent by 2015. And every new model generation will on average be
10 to 15 percent more efficient than its predecessor.
Carbon-neutral electricity
Fuel cell
Battery power
Plug-in hybrid
Hybrid drive
Internal combustion
engine
Carbon-neutral fuels (liquid, gaseous)
Conventional electricity
Conventional fuels
Carbon-neutral
and sustainable
mobility
26
27
The right solution for
every requirement.

On the starting grid.
Electric cars are already a reality in the Volkswagen
Group. In 2012 a limited-production all-electric model
will hit the road, followed in 2013 by volume-produc-
tion models. 2014 will see the Volkswagen Group
launch plug-in hybrids, too, followed by a steady ex-
pansion of the e-vehicle product range in subsequent
years.
These vehicles will allow
us to achieve significant
long-term reductions in
our fleet CO2 emissions.
And that‘s not all. We are
also pursuing an even
more ambitious objective. Our mission – the e-Missi-
on – is to build electric cars that achieve zero emissi-
ons across the entire vehicle life cycle.
Volkswagen is on the way to fulfilling this mission and
has already set the stage for the future. We are com-
mitted to renewable energy as this will enable us to ra-
dically reduce CO2 emissions, not only during the ve-
hicle use phase, but also at the manufacturing stage.
In our efforts to build cars as resource-efficiently as
possible, we analyse our resource pathways in depth.
We are also researching advanced recycling solutions
for electric components. And we are working closely
with our suppliers to make electric mobility as envi-
ronmentally friendly as
possible at every stage in
the production chain.
We are training our em-
ployees for new tasks
and are engaging and in-
volving
them
in
this
journey into the automotive technology of tomorrow.
And we are developing integrated mobility solutions
in which cars and other modes of transport will work
together in the quest for emission-free mobility.
In other words, we are doing everything we can to
make the electric car a true zero-emission vehicle. We
are already on our way. The e-Mission has begun.
The e-Mission:
electric mobility with zero emissions
over the full life cycle.
© Volkswagen Group
Group Research Environmental Affairs Product in cooperation with Group Electric Traction
P.O. Box 011/1774
38436 Wolfsburg
Germany
www.volkswagenag.com/sustainability
Art. No. 27412450118
07/2012

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on which this brochure is based was independently validated by an
expert panel comprising representatives of TÜV Nord CERT GmbH, Braunschweig University of Technolo-
gy and PE International AG. The methods and data used in completing this Life Cycle Assessment conform
to the requirements of standards DIN EN ISO 14040:2006 and DIN EN ISO 14044:2006. The facts and
figures, LCA results and conclusions are valid and comprehensible.