Volkswagen Highlights Continued Commitment to Reducing Carbon Emissions and Environmental Projects

• Volkswagen partners with 3Degrees® to purchase carbon offsets in California and around the United States to cover greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the e-Golf
  • Volkswagen’s support of forestry conservation in Mendocino County, California is one of several examples of the brand’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions
• Volkswagen plans to invest $10 million in electric vehicle charging infrastructure by 2016
  • ChargePoint® selected to provide e-Golf owners access to more than 28,000 charging stations nationwide.
  • Volkswagen, BMW and ChargePoint to create electric vehicle express charging corridors on the East and West coasts

Healdsburg, Calif. (June 4, 2015) –Through innovative collaborations, Volkswagen of America is one of the first high-volume manufacturers to deliver a truly holistic approach to ultra-low-carbon mobility, supporting the company’s broader global carbon reduction efforts. Beginning with the launch of the zero-tailpipe emissions 2015 e-Golf, Volkswagen invests in carbon reduction projects across the country to offset emissions created from e-Golf production, distribution, and up to approximately 36,000 miles of driving.

“Volkswagen feels it is important to look beyond the benefits of driving a vehicle without tailpipe emissions and to take a holistic approach to e-mobility,” said Joerg Sommer, vice president of product marketing, Volkswagen of America. “The carbon offset program is a key element of Volkswagen’s holistic approach to e-Mobility. e-Golf customers can drive the vehicle confidently, knowing Volkswagen is addressing the vehicle’s environmental impacts through many stages of its lifecycle from production, distribution and charging.”

To help determine its carbon offset projects, Volkswagen teamed with 3Degrees, a renewable energy and carbon offset services provider. By investing in carbon reduction programs, Volkswagen will offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to the e-Golf from its production, distribution and from the estimated emissions created by the production of electricity needed to keep the vehicle charged through the initial 36,000 miles of use. Volkswagen of America supports carbon reduction efforts in California and Texas, with projects geared towards forestry conservation and landfill gas capture.

Volkswagen-supported projects include: 

Garcia River Forestry Project
The Garcia River Conservation-Based Forest Management Project, located in Mendocino County, Calif., protects and preserves a 24,000-acre native redwood forest, increasing carbon sequestration and storage, while also helping to restore the natural wildlife habitat. Emission reductions produced by the project are verified by an approved third party and registered with the Climate Action Reserve. More information on the project can be found at: http://ift.tt/1v7AB9C

Big River and Salmon Creek Forests
The Big River and Salmon Creek Forests, located in Mendocino County, Calif., were subject historically to land fragmentation and unsustainable logging practices. In an effort to protect the native redwood and Douglas fir forest, the land is now protected through a 16,000-acre land purchase, which was funded in part by the carbon offsets it offers to organizations like Volkswagen.  Emissions reductions produced by the project are verified by an approved third party and registered with the Climate Action Reserve. More information on the project can be found at: http://ift.tt/1v7AB9D

McKinney Landfill
The McKinney Landfill project, based at a closed landfill in McKinney, Texas, works to capture gases that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere from anaerobic decomposition within the landfill. Benefits from the capture include odor reduction, improved water quality and future distributed renewable energy production. The sale of carbon offsets supports the gas collection and flaring project. The emission reductions are validated, verified and registered using the Climate Action Reserve’s Landfill Project Protocol.
More information on the project can be found at: http://ift.tt/1sbhw0D

“Volkswagen is showing leadership by including carbon offsets as standard with this e-Golf electric vehicle,” said Steve McDougal, President of 3Degrees. “As more people choose low and no emission cars, Volkswagen is making it possible—and easy—to think comprehensively about the greenhouse gas emissions profile of a vehicle.”

Charging Solutions
Volkswagen will invest $10 million in charging infrastructure around the country by 2016 to help increase the adoption of electric vehicles in the United States.

Earlier this year, Volkswagen of America and BMW of North America, together with ChargePoint®, the largest electric vehicle charging network, announced an initiative to create express charging corridors along heavily-traveled routes on the East and West Coasts. Designed to increase the number of fast charging locations, the initiative will help meet the large and growing demand for convenient, publicly available electric fast chargers, including direct current (DC) fast charging locations, and support the adoption of electric vehicles in the United States. In the initial phase, the aim is to install nearly 100 DC fast chargers across both coasts, with plans to expand the program to increase access to fast charging across the country. These newly installed DC fast chargers will be added to the growing ChargePoint network of more than 28,000 charging locations in North America.

Additionally, Volkswagen has selected ChargePoint to complete the driver experience by providing all authorized e-Golf dealerships with VW-branded charging stations and by giving e-Golf drivers access to the largest network of public EV charging stations. As a result, e-Golf drivers will have access to ChargePoint’s entire charging network around the United States, in addition to those stations installed at authorized VW dealerships. All e-Golf drivers will also get access to the ChargePoint mobile app, which will help them navigate to ChargePoint stations, see real-time status updates relating to ChargePoint stations and start charging sessions.

Volkswagen’s holistic approach to e-mobility also extends to the ownership experience. The company recently announced that Bosch Automotive Service Solutions will serve as a charging station and installation services partner for the e-Golf. Bosch® will provide a 240-volt charging unit, the Power Max® charging station, as well as full-service installation for qualified e-Golf drivers. The charging station and installation will be offered at highly competitive prices to e-Golf customers.

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