The Volkswagen 1-litre car is a two-person diesel concept car produced by Volkswagen. The 1-litre car was designed to be able to travel 100 km on 1 litre of diesel fuel,[1] (equivalent to 235 miles per U.S. gallon or 282 mpg Imperial), while being both roadworthy and practical.[2] To achieve such economy, it is produced with lightweight materials, a streamlined body and an engine and transmission designed and tuned for economy. This concept car has been modified, first in 2009 as the L1[3] and in 2011 as the XL1 (see below).
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The prototype VW 1-Litre concept car was shown to the public in April 2002 when Dr. Ferdinand Piech, then Chairman of the Board of Management, drove the concept between Wolfsburg and Hamburg as part of the Volkswagen annual meeting of stockholders.
For aerodynamics, the car seats two in tandem, rather than side-by-side. There are no rear view mirrors and it instead uses cameras and electronic displays. The rear wheels are close together to allow a streamlined body. The total aerodynamic drag is minimal because both the drag coefficient and frontal area are small (see drag equation). The drag coefficient (Cd) is 0.159,[2] compared to 0.30 - 0.40 for typical cars.
The external dimensions of the car are 3.47 m (11.4 ft) long, 1.25 m (4.1 ft) wide and 1.10 m (3.6 ft) tall. There is 80 L (2.8 cu ft) of storage space. The car features an aircraft-style canopy, flat wheel covers and an underbelly cover to smooth the airflow. The engine cooling vents open only as needed.
For light weight, the car uses an unpainted carbon fibre skin over a magnesium-alloy subframe. Individual components have been designed to be low weight, including engine, transmission, suspension, wheels (carbon fibre), brakes (aluminium), hubs (titanium), bearings (ceramic), interior, and so on. Empty vehicle weight is 290 kg (639 lb).
The engine is a one-cylinder 299 cc (18 cu in) diesel producing just 6.3 kW (8.4 hp). It drives through a six-speed transmission that combines stick-shift mechanics, weight, and drive efficiency with automatic convenience and efficiency controls. There is no clutch pedal. The gear selection (forwards, reverse or neutral) is made using a switch on the right-hand side of the cockpit. The engine is switched off automatically during deceleration and stops, and auto-restarted when the acceleration pedal is pressed. The production version would use a 2-cylinder version with somewhat higher power and a mild hybrid design.
According to Volkswagen, the vehicle consumes 0.99 L/100 km (238 mpg-US); giving it a 650 km (404 mi) driving range using its 6.5 L (1.7 US gal) fuel tank.
The body and frame are designed with crush/crumple zones and roll-over protection, and the tandem seating means large side crush zones. Volkswagen claims protection comparable to a GT racing car. The production version apparently has anti-lock brakes, airbags with pressure sensors, and stability control.[4] Volkswagen approved a limited production by 2010.[3][5] However, production has been delayed until 2013.[6] but was never released to the public.[7]
The second Volkswagen 1-litre car, named L1, was first shown to the public at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.[8] Limited production of the VW L1 was expected to start in 2013 but with the announcement of the XL1 in 2011 this was considered unlikely.[6]
The L1 continues the two-seater tandem concept first shown in the 2002 1-litre concept. It has a curb weight of 381 kg (840 lb), with a low coefficient of drag of 0.195. It is 3.813 m (12.5 ft) in length, 1.143 m (3.8 ft) mm tall and 1.2 m (3.9 ft) wide.
It uses one half of a 1.6-litre TDI engine in a hybrid installation. The 800 cc, twin-cylinder, common-rail, turbodiesel is joined by a 10.5 kW (14 hp) electric motor and has a CO2 emission 39g/km. The engine operates in two modes: "eco" mode, giving 20 kW (27 hp), and "sport" mode giving 21.6 kW (29 hp). The electric motor provides extra acceleration and can power the L1 on its own for short distances.[9] Volkswagen claimed the L1 can achieve a top speed of 158 km/h (99 mph), with 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 14.3 s.[10]
In June 2010, reports circulated [11] that a single-seater version using the model name L1 would be sold in China for 4000 yuan (US$600) starting in 2011. Despite reports on ABC News, Truthorfiction.com rates these reports as "fiction".[12]
The XL1 is the third iteration of the Volkswagen 1-litre car, unveiled at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show. The diesel plug-in hybrid prototype is branded as a "Super Efficient Vehicle" (SEV).[13]
According to Volkswagen, the XL1 can achieve a combined fuel consumption of 0.9 litres per 100 kilometres (310 mpg-imp; 260 mpg-US)[14] and CO2 emissions of 24 g/km. Like the L1, the XL1 uses a two-cylinder turbo-diesel. Displacing 800 cc, it is rated at 35 kW (47 hp) and 121 Nm (89 lb-ft) of torque and transmits power to the rear wheels through a seven-speed DSG transmission. The electric motor pitches in with 20 kW (27 hp) and 100 Nm (74 lb-ft) of torque, and can work in parallel with the diesel or drive the car independent of it. Fully charged, the XL1 can travel up to 35 km (22 mi) on electric power.
The XL1 has a curb weight of 795 kg (1,750 lb), and a drag coefficient of 0.186 (a similar drag coefficient to the General Motors EV1 electric car). Just 23.2% of the car (184 kg (410 lb)) is made out of either steel or iron; the drivetrain weighs 227 kg (500 lb). The XL1's length and width are similar to the Volkswagen Polo, with a length of 3,970 mm (156.3 in) and width of 1,682 mm (66.2 in). However, the car is much lower with a height of only 1,184 mm (46.6 in), and has a coupe-like roofline, reducing interior volume. The design incorporates gull-wing doors,[15] with the interior seating layout using a staggered side-by-side arrangement similar to a Smart Fortwo, rather than the previous versions' tandem seating.
Performance credentials include a governed top speed of 158 km/h (99 mph), with 0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 11.9 s.[16][17]