VW L1 Concept - 235 MPG

[34k]

Or, 1 liter = 100 km (hence the L1)

Both these sites are slow, so here's the content:

http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/volkswagen/vw-boss-confirms-1-liter-car-for-2010
TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: VW’s 235mpg car by Jorge Chapa

With oil prices at $135 dollars per barrel, the pressure is on for car makers to innovate and create more fuel efficient vehicles. Volkswagen seems to be taking this task seriously with the 1L, a prototype that is capable of traveling for 235mpg using 1 gallon of gasoline, or 100km on 1L of gas. Adding to the excitement of this breakthrough is recent news that VW plans to get this concept out to market in 2010!

The 1L is a lightweight two person vehicle made out of a magnesium frame covered by an unpainted carbon fiber skin. Every component of the vehicle is intended to reduce the vehicles weight. Aluminum brakes, carbon fiber wheels, titanium hubs, and ceramic bearings all contribute to the vehicle’s light weight of a mere 290 kg. To reduce the weight even further, and to increase the aerodynamics of the vehicle, there are no rear view mirrors. Instead, the car is equipped with cameras that display visual information to the driver via the internal LCD screen.

The car is extremely fuel efficient, each gallon of fuel will take you over 235 miles. The fuel tank holds just 1.7 gallons, making the entire travel distance capability about 400 miles per tank. It’s top speed is 120 km/h (75mph), which although isn’t too fast is a welcome trade off for the huge savings in gas consumption.

The VW 1L will be available in 2010, in limited numbers.









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http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/volkswagen/preview-vw%e2%80%99s-235mpg-project/
Preview: VW’s 235MPG project

When Volkswagen unveiled its 1-Liter concept car back in 2002 nobody actually thought such a car could ever make it to production. The concept utilized lightweight construction techniques, superior aerodynamics and low resistance tires to achieve its amazing 1L/100km fuel consumption figure, something that would appear near impossible to commercialize. However, a recent promise from VW’s Ferdinand Piëch hints that it may in fact be in development.

With the 1-Liter project rumored to be under way, this new rendering shows us that designers are likely to retain the basic shape of the concept, as it’s one of the most aerodynamically efficient shapes possible. This means that any production version will have to keep the low-riding pod shape and narrow 1.25m width of the concept version.

In developing the concept car, designers realized that diesel was the only real option for the drive system. VW would probably go with another single-cylinder design with the latest in direct injection and construct it from aluminum to save weight. Even with such a small engine, which is tipped to displace less than 0.5L, the new car should be able to reach speeds of up to 120km/h thanks to its super-slippery drag coefficient of 0.159.

There’s still no official confirmation from VW that the car will enter production. Whether it will end up being just another technologically advanced yet commercially unsuccessful project like the VW Phaeton and Bugatti Veyron remains to be seen.



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VW boss confirms 1-Liter car for 2010

As outrageous as the idea of a 1L/100km car sounds, more reports have emerged confirming the ultra-frugal car is in fact in development and that it could be on the market by as early as 2010. At last month’s Frankfurt Motor Show senior VW exec Ferdinand Piëch claimed the car would be available by the end of the decade and now CEO Martin Winterkorn has backed up the claim as well as providing some of the production details.

First up Winterkorn stressed that the 1-Liter “would not be a best seller” and thus will only be produced in limited numbers. Its body will be constructed from plastic and magnesium and its power source will be a one-cylinder engine displacing just 0.3L. Top speed will be 120km/h and consumption will fall around the 1L/100km mark (235mpg), reports AFX.

If you still doubt that such a car could even be produced remember that VW developed a concept version back in 2002 that sipped just 0.89L/100km.

[gragravar]

I'd take one of those

[ColoradoB5]

I'd take one if I could get 2 baby seats in it!  Or if I can only fit one, I'd have to buy 2 of them.

[redline]

Gas mileage - Amazing
Looks and safety - Not so much

[Spicoli]

cool idea... but it is an enclosed sled for the road... safety for accidents will never allow it to come over here

[34k]

cool idea... but it is an enclosed sled for the road... safety for accidents will never allow it to come over here

Yes, clearly a concept car. In its current state, there's no way it would be approved for the US.

I'd be curious to see the price tag with a magnesium frame, titanium hubs, and carbon skin and wheels.

[gragravar]

cool idea... but it is an enclosed sled for the road... safety for accidents will never allow it to come over here

I gotta disagree.  I would bet if we see gas head toward $5/gal we'll see the government create a new class of vehicles - somewhat like a 4 wheel motorcycle class - with reduced safety requirements and high mileage requirements.

VW could already get it through as a motorcycle if it went to one rear wheel.

[DenverPat]

I gotta disagree.  I would bet if we see gas head toward $5/gal we'll see the government create a new class of vehicles - somewhat like a 4 wheel motorcycle class - with reduced safety requirements and high mileage requirements.

VW could already get it through as a motorcycle if it went to one rear wheel.

God, I hope you're right, Andrew.  If motorcycles are legal, I can't understand why this isn't.  The gub'ment needs to introduce a new class of vehicles.  There's no need for us to be travelling around individually in two-ton vehicles.  MASSIVE energy waste there.  I really think this is the way of the future.  Vehicles like this are a great option, and people will learn they need to sacrifice having their rarely-used extra space.

[ianacole]

It’s top speed is 120 km/h (75mph), which although isn’t too fast is a welcome trade off for the huge savings in gas consumption.

No it's not 

[Spicoli]

I gotta disagree.  I would bet if we see gas head toward $5/gal we'll see the government create a new class of vehicles - somewhat like a 4 wheel motorcycle class - with reduced safety requirements and high mileage requirements.

VW could already get it through as a motorcycle if it went to one rear wheel.

Yes, but 3 wheel vehicles have some stability issues, esp when the 3rd wheel is in the rear.  The majority of the weight needs to be between the 2 wheels, otherwise it will roll easily. 

I could see the government creating a commuter class of vehicle, specifically designed for vehicles like this... They have a NEC classification (Neighborhood Electric Car - or something like that) which is allowed on roads up to 35mph... they have minimal requirements.   But for a commuter car to be allowed on highways, there would have to be a special lane or some sort of safety requirement close to what is in place now.  One of those requirement is a bumper height min/max (this is in place to help make sure when cars collide that the impact zones are hit at the right heights so they will work). 

Side note... did you guys know that the government is implementing a requirement that all cars by some date (soon) have to be designed to inflict minimal damage to pedestrians for when a car hits a pedestrian at a certain speed?

[jayryan]

"Minimal Impact?" Who's setting that standard? I don't see how that's going to work. If someone gets smacked by a big piece of foam at 35mph, it's going to hurt. Americans are so pent up over safety that we're going to have safety standards on our shoes soon.

Why do efficient cars have to be ugly? The L1 is not a pretty car. Neither is the Prius, Fit, the Yaris, or any other weird, one-word named cars.

Cars that only do 35mph? It's called a scooter. Or self-control with a gas pedal. We have those already (one is simply not exercised).

It will be interesting to see lifestyle and community changes caused by cars being just impractical for interstate/long travel use. People aren't going to be able to able to drive to the big Wal-Mart shopping centers on the west (or east, north or south) ends of town anymore. Especially the poorer class. They'll have to walk to the local store and pay more because big stores make it hard for the little store to thrive...or something

Ian, this is more your speed I'd expect: Tesla Motors

I gotta disagree.  I would bet if we see gas head toward $5/gal we'll see the government create a new class of vehicles - somewhat like a 4 wheel motorcycle class...

Andrew, we have street legal 4 wheelers up here in Montana.

[ianacole]

Ian, this is more your speed I'd expect: Tesla Motors

Now that one I would drive in a heart beat!

[hotani]

It'll come over here. But in order to make it fit with US DOT standards the following modifications will have to be made:

1- suspension will be raised 4"
2- 1 wheel in back will be changed to 2
3- cockpit design will be changed to side-by-side
4- back seat will be added
5- 3rd row seat will be added
6- seat size will be increased by 85%
7- vehicle will only be available as a 4-door-wagon
8- interior headroom will be increased by 5"

As a result of the above modifications, the new and improved USDOT-certified vehicle will get 25MPG.

Here is a pic of the updated, made-for-USA version.

[KWilson]

I like it.  So, am I the only one wondering if a 1.8T would fit into this?

[Kingtut]

"Minimal Impact?" Who's setting that standard? I don't see how that's going to work. If someone gets smacked by a big piece of foam at 35mph, it's going to hurt. Americans are so pent up over safety that we're going to have safety standards on our shoes soon.

Why do efficient cars have to be ugly? The L1 is not a pretty car. Neither is the Prius, Fit, the Yaris, or any other weird, one-word named cars.

Cars that only do 35mph? It's called a scooter. Or self-control with a gas pedal. We have those already (one is simply not exercised).

LMAO!  That's hillarious, I totally agree.  

Here we are talking about high gas prices and how to conserve, yet I still get a handful of a-holes per day that feel the need to haul past me, only to meet a red light with disgust(which I'd already seen by merely looking more than ten feet in front of me)

[Spicoli]

One thing I find amusing... is how many prius drivers drive like jackasses, and quite often seem to be some of the hardest accelerators.  I see it often, and it always makes me smirk.  I am sure it just sticks out because it is a gas conscious car and to get the MPG that they claim you have to drive sensible. 

[trev0006]

Wow with 10 bucks you can drive coast to coast.