PASADENA, CA — Volkswagen of America, Inc. is giving a high profile to vehicles with lower environmental impact at the Designing Sustainable Mobility Summit, being held at Art Center College of Design in Southern California. Here, designers and other transportation experts from many countries are sharing ideas on ways to make future mobility more environmentally compatible.

As this vision unfolds, attendees and Art Center students are being provided the unique experience of driving VW models running on biodiesel, ultra low sulfur diesel, hydrogen, and highly efficient gasoline engines on public roads. Driving some of the very technologies and fuels being discussed at the Summit provides the reality check that moving forward in meaningful and more environmentally-conscious ways is much more than theory. It’s happening today, and in ways that address the needs and desires of drivers now and in the years ahead.

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I don’t have much information yet, but if you recall the BlueMotion line of VW’s is their ultra-economical models. Currently they have a Polo BlueMotion that gets 60mpg from a 1.4L turbo diesel engine. Hopefully I’ll get some updates shortly, otherwise the unveiling will be in early March when the Geneva Motor Show hits.

It’s good to see ultra-economic larger cars on the horizon. This is yet another testament to the power of diesel where a driver can have a nice car and still get good mileage, as opposed to the hybrids that have to rely on tiny, lightweight tin cans to get their mileage.