VW L1 258 mpg Diesel Hybrid $600 USD in China Next Year

[FiddlerJohn]

http://www.apteraforum.com/showthread.php?t=5008

http://rense.com/general85/car.htm

The details seem to vary. Much of the following is from the two-cylinder XL1 concept car.

Drivetrain

The Future Needs the TDI:
Small TDI leverages minimal fuel consumption and maximum range
Downsizing - 0.8 TDI is smallest diesel engine intended for production applications ever built by Volkswagen
Electrifying idea - E-motor plus TDI pushes CO2 emissions down to 36 g/km

The TDI, E-motor and 7-speed DSG are located at the rear, and they combine to create the most fuel efficient road-legal car hybrid drive in the world. Proof of this are its 1.38 litre per 100 kilometres fuel consumption and 36 g/km CO2 emissions. Serving as the primary drive source is a completely redeveloped two-cylinder turbo-diesel with common rail direct injection (TDI). It is operated in two different modes depending on the load conditions. In the standard "ECO" mode, the 800 cm3 TDI develops a power of 20 kW / 27 PS (at 4,000 rpm); in "Sport" mode - used to reach top speed, for example - the car's power rises to 29 kW / 39 PS (at 4,000 rpm). The TDI's maximum torque is 100 Newton-meter (at 1,900 rpm). Naturally, the L1 also has a Stop-Start system that automatically shuts down the engine when vehicle has stopped and restarts when the accelerator or E-pedal is pressed.

The hybrid module has been integrated into the housing of the 7-speed DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox). It is located between the TDI engine and the DSG gearbox and consists of a 10 kW / 14 PS electric motor and a clutch. The E-motor is supplied with energy from a lithium-ion battery located at the front of the car. An electronic power control module, operating at around. 130 Volts manages the flow of high voltage energy the battery and to the E-motor. In parallel, the vehicle's low voltage electrical system is supplied with the necessary 12 Volts through a DC/DC converter.

Automatic transmission - details of the 7-speed DSG

Gear shifting work aboard the L1 is handled by the 7-speed DSG, which is one of the most innovative automatic transmissions in production. Compared to the version equipping the new Polo, for example, the design of the Direct Shift Gearbox has been developed to include clutch control for the hybrid module. Furthermore, individual gear ratios have been optimised to attain responsive driving performance despite the car's extremely low fuel consumption. The hybrid module is integrated into the DSG housing where the flywheel is usually to be found.

Driving performance - economical and yet responsive

The L1, equipped with ABS and ESP, has a top speed of up to 160 km/h - this is remarkable considering its fuel efficiency. With maximum acceleration from a standstill, the two-seater reaches 100 km/h after just 14.3 seconds. The fuel tank holds just ten litres yet, this is sufficient for a theoretical driving range of about 670 kilometres, given the car's 1.38 litre average fuel consumption.

 

[FiddlerJohn]

 

[alohart]

This hoax, the $600 price of a VW built in China, has been circulating around the Internet for years. This car was a VW prototype in the early 2000's, but VW never planned to sell it to the public.

 

[FiddlerJohn]

This hoax, the $600 price of a VW built in China, has been circulating around the Internet for years. This car was a VW prototype in the early 2000's, but VW never planned to sell it to the public.

Thanks alohart. The lastest:
http://jalopnik.com/this-is-volkswagens-crazy-awesome-261-mpg-car-328215660

 

[Vike]

The most recent version referenced here does seem close to production ready, and VW thinks there may well be a niche market for eco super cars just as there is for performance super cars. That's what it would be, too, since the price has been estimated at somewhere around $100k. So ya, as noted previously, that $600 price tag was a figment of the internet's collective imagination.

Still, a lot of the tech here would be great for an EV, especially the crazy low Cd, which would make highway cruising more efficient, hence more feasible. To meet the expectations of the broader market, I'm starting to think EVs will need to be more aerodynamic and better thermally insulated than ICE cars.

 

[NeilBlanchard]

The XL1 is rated at 261MPG in the European test cycle. [This is in US gallons.] And since diesel contains about 20% more energy per gallon than gasoline (E10?), if it burned gasoline that would be [~208MPG]. Still, very impressive!

I'll take the ~31 miles of all-electric range - the total battery pack size is reported to be 5kWh and assuming (never a good thing?) that they are using 90-92% of that, that means the XL1 is about 145-150Wh/mile. Which not surprisingly is a little bit better than the EV1 - and almost entirely proportional to the Cd's of each car. The EV1 in production had a Cd of ~0.20 and the Cd of the XL1 is just under 0.19.

There is at least one report that VW will be using (a front wheel drive version of) the XL1 drivetrain in the Up! This would be a lot less expensive, and much more practical, and the Up! is only 300 pounds heavier than the XL1. The Cd would be the biggest change - the Up! is probably 50% higher Cd and probably close to 100% higher CdA.

 

[JoeS]

This vehicle is fifteen years too late. If you must have a hybrid, this is certainly the way to go for long-distance cruising (with superb aerodynamics and a tiny diesel), but the first generation petrol-engined Honda Insight had led the way in this department - which no one had followed. I was disappointed to see that VW had not allocated room for batteries on the underside of the center of the vehicle, as with that form factor a small purely-electric long-distance vehicle should now be an alternative to Tesla's huge brute-force approach.