Volkswagen claim to have designed the most economical production car ever and are now saying they will start. ? have started? production.
The car is a further development of a model they showed about 10 years ago.
The numbers they present are astounding:
- Cw = 0,186
- 1L for 111km on the standard testcircuit.
- CO2 24 g/km
- 975kg
The VW XL1 is a plug-in hydbrid with a 0,8 litre two cilinder TDI (35kW) in cooperations with a 20kW electric motor and a 7-step DSG transmission. The systems also has a lithium-ion battery-pack, which alows for a 40km electric range (which shows how small the pack is, I guestimate about 2kWh)
The electric motor is used in regenerative braking.
youtube
volkswagen website here they write that the XL1 is built in Osnabrück and that they are arranging this factory so that the complete vehicle is built there (which is unique in the current car production methods), it is the most aerodynamic production car ever and they call it a 0,9L car!! It remains unclear when, where, at what price it is available.
In their background article, they also write that the vehicle will have a CFK (carbon fibre, prepreg) monocoque. The use of CFK is the key in decreasing the weight of the vehicle the other dominant factor in fuel consumption.
This use of Carbon fibre prepregs and the resulting thickness brings mainstream car manufacturing close to what the bicycle streamlining guys have been doing for years.
My own motorcycle project will have to be reconsidered?
The photographs are a bit confusing as are the youtube movies of tested prototypes, dual? wingdoors.
When will it really be available?
The original 2002 test version, looking a bit more extreme. VW has been very quiet about the further development of this vehicle.
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