The principles behind a car designed for performance and a car designed for fuel efficiency are similar; both need to be light weight and aerodynamic, which is why Volkswagen is investigating adapting its fuel efficiency-focused XL1 into a vehicle tuned for performance.
Could this be Volkswagen’s Prius? A fuel efficient halo car, the XL1 is expected to deliver a whopping 261-mpg thanks to its tiny engine, low weight and slip-stream design. Continue Reading…
With a claimed 261-mpg rating, the Volkswagen XL1 is the most fuel efficient car in the world while sporting a design like no other car on the road today.
The production variant of the Volkswagen XL1 has been spied cold-weather testing in -22 Fahrenheit temperatures as the German automaker put its 235-mpg diesel-hybrid car to the test.
It’s no surprise that the Volkswagen XL1 is out and about testing, as the diesel-hybrid XL1 is expected to be sold in limited quantities starting next year.
Last month, we caught glimpses of the Volkswagen XL1 being tested, and now reports are coming out of the 2012 Paris Motor Show that confirm the XL1 will head to dealerships in limited quantities next year.
Volkswagen is looking to introduce a new standard for fuel economy with the XL1, a fuel sipper expected to get up to 235 mpg, and our spy photographers managed to grab some photos of an XL1 prototype testing today.
Volkswagen first showed off its XL1 Concept at the 2011 Qatar Motor Show, and the futuristic-looking coupe will be making its way to production, albeit in a limited run.
The XL1 will be will be built on Volkswagen’s new modular MQB platform and even though no official photos of what the production model will look like has been released, sources believe that it will closely resemble the concept pictured above. What has been confirmed – at least as confirmed as rumors can be – is that the XL1 will have a new 800-cc, two-cylinder diesel powerplant with 48-hp and 88 lb-ft of torque and will be mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission.
The diesel engine will work with a 27-hp electric motor putting out 103 lb-ft of torque with the electricity being stored in lithium-ion batteries. The XL1 will be able to travel up to 24 miles in all-electric mode and is expected to go 0-62 mph in 11.9 seconds with a top speed limited to 99-mph.
It is believed that the XL1 will be delivered starting next year but Volkswagen did not confirm how many they will be producing or its cost.
[Source: Autoweek.nl]
Volkswagen is set to unveil a single seat electric car at a special event in Berlin next month, as the company explores the future of mobility and personal transportation.
A VW spokesman confirmed that the vehicle would be shown at an event in Berlin on September 8th. VW said that the new car would surpass the previous XL1 concept unveiled in January. Volkswagen is hoping for battery-powered cars to make up 3 percent of sales by 2018.
[Source: Automotive News]
