Date:         Thu, 23 Jan 1997 07:29:35 -0500 (EST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         RGOLEN@umassd.edu
Subject:      Re: EV fuel econ. Q


I get between 16 - 22 mpg in my 5 speed EV. The engine is plenty 
adequate..has an excellent torque band that kicks in at 2000 rpm and stays 
high and level until about 4300 rpm. I find it ironic that there are some 
out there who criticize the EV for not having too much power....and some of 
the same folks have, from time to time, wanted to increase the power in 
their bay-windows and vanagons.

Face it, VW vans have NEVER been boulevard racers. VW does an excellent job 
in designing its vans for their primary purpose....hauling cargo. The 
passenger vans versions are a secondary purpose for VW. Its engines have 
been designed to delicately balance economy, longevity and power. The 5 
cylinder in the EV has been tweeked by Audi Sport to produce 700 hp....in 
the Audi 5000, in the non turbo, 10 valve version, it produces about 125 
hp...but its torque curve doesn't really kick in until the high revs. The EV 
engine has been "tuned" to act like a workhorse...not a racehorse.

One of the reasons our vans last so long is the fact that they are "trucks". 
Look at that frame that is underneath every VW van....then look underneath a 
Chrysler $hitbox(c) what do you see? Nothing...no ladder frame...

Given engine design and the strenght of the package I'll take the 5 cyl. 
EV anyday...quite frankly, I think the VR6 is a bit of overkill....although 
I would like to see the same engines for the EV here in the US as they have 
in Europe. Incidentally, I've driven the 2.0L 4 cyl gas engine - 9 passenger
version through the alps carrying 6 passengers and a ton of luggage without 
any problems.

Ric