At first glance, the Volkswagen XL1 might look like something out of a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster – as much fantastical figment as a four-wheeled snapshot of our shared automotive future.
But while the XL1’s particulars are still a ways away from becoming the standard – the sexy-sleek design, hidden hind tires, and incredible 235 mile-per gallon fuel efficiency – Volkswagen’s green aim remains equal parts ambitious and time-tested.
Located on Route 33 in Greenland, Seacoast Volkswagen has emerged as one of the region’s most successful car dealership, thanks in large part to their longstanding commitment to fuel-efficient alternatives.
“The XL1 is great, and once they work out the technology, it’ll be exciting to see something like it offered here in the States,” says Don Turbide, Business Development Manager for Seacoast Volkswagen and a veteran of VW for over 20 years. “Eventually that technology is going to filter down and become more accessible.”
Find out what's happening in Portsmouthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Before that day comes, however, Turbide says he and the rest of the Seacoast Volkswagen team will continue touting the green merits of the cars already in stock: the hybrid Touareg and Jetta, along with a line of clean diesel offerings, one of which – the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel – was named 2009 Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal, by a panel that includes such notable names as Jay Leno, Carroll Shelby, Jean-Michel Cousteau and the Sierra Club’s Carl Pope.
Awards. Accolades. Omnipresence. It’s a far cry from where Volkswagen stood vis-à-vis its competitors in the decades following World War II, when American auto manufacturing was at its zenith and low gas costs seemed a given.
Find out what's happening in Portsmouthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Today, a nationwide auto exodus continues apace, with Volkswagen emerging as one of the most popular – and most trusted – alternatives to decades of Big Three hegemony.
“I think what we’ve shown is that Maine and New Hampshire are pretty far ahead of the curve as far as the move towards fuel efficiency is concerned,” Turbide says. “Back in the 90s and early 2000s, when fuel prices were more volatile, you’d see people come in looking for more efficient alternatives when the prices were high, but the business would slow down as prices went down. Now that gas prices are on a steady upward trajectory, we’re starting to see more people switching to and staying with Volkswagen.”
But the success of Seacoast Volkswagen is as much a product of the times as it is genuine green trust. Indeed, the dealership’s green efforts don’t end with what lines the lot. Since moving from Portsmouth down Route 33 ten years ago, Seacoast Volkswagen has instituted a number of impressive green initiatives: installing both a 35-foot “double-helix” wind turbine as well as a 19 kilowatt solar array; switching over to 100% LED lighting; and instituting a comprehensive recycling program, where even spent oil is repurposed to help heat the building.
To say that they are one of the greenest car dealerships around would be an understatement. But nor is it an anomaly: In 2011, the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant was awarded Platinum certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the nation’s top building efficiency standard.
Highly efficient insulation, hydroelectric power from a nearby dam, LED lighting, state of the art rainwater collection and reuse system estimated to save 50 million gallons of water over ten years – the list goes on.
“Volkswagen Chattanooga’s LEED Platinum certification is the fulfillment of a promise that Volkswagen has made around the world and in this community that we will work in harmony with the environment,” said Volkswagen Chattanooga CEO and chairman Frank Fischer. “Our commitment to building a LEED certified factory began in the planning and design stages."
As for why the XL1’s unique diesel technology has yet to take hold here in the U.S.? Turbide cites a longstanding – and irrational – misunderstanding of just how far the technology has come in recent decades.
“The association has been that diesels are noisy, smelly, and dirty. And if you’re following an MBTA bus through downtown Boston, it’s hard not to think exactly that,” Turbide says. “But the technology has come a long way, to the point where people are starting to realize diesel’s many benefits.”
Which is part of the reason why fusing diesel and hybrid technologies – a rarity until recently – makes so much sense: by combining the superior efficiency of diesel with the well-documented merits of battery-powered hybrids, the end result is a reduced impact on wallet and planet alike.
“It’s a no-brainer, really,” says Turbide. “It’s better for the environment, it makes more financial sense. Sooner or later that wave is going to come.”
In the mean time, Turbide assures, while the company’s game-changing prototype has proven a promising Platonic form, the success of Volkswagen has always been much more about function.
“Whatever the next big thing ends up being, we’re sure it will be great,” Turbide says. “Our cars are great, they’re dependable, and they’re efficient – it’s that simple.”
Learn more about Seacoast Volkswagen at www.seacoastvolkswagen.com
