235 MPG VW XL1 Diesel Hybrid getting closer

[bhtooefr]

Think of this as the Veyron of fuel economy.

And, that's at the upper end of the price range they mentioned way back in 2009 or so.

 

[VWConvert]

I would think this would be a waste of money then if it's even $40,000. Considering I could get a Jetta/Passat TDI for around $22-24,000 range and still get 3.5 times further on a tank and never have to worry about my battery going out, as well as not charging it every night.

Now, if you can afford it... then awesome. Honestly though it seems to defeat the purpose of current diesels. Why not just make a battery charged TDI and you've now got an 800-1100+ tank range TDI around $30k. Add a solar roof panel like the Prius, and a regen brake system/plug n' drive as well. Simple hybrid diesel, yeah... might make the price of the car around the low to mid $30k price range, but you'd probably be able to sqeak out 80+ mpg, and then the hybrid battery running off a charge, the brakes, and the solar panel. Lighten it up, padded/comfot styalized bucket seats, aluminum/CF hood/trunk. It would be genious, but it's all in the eyes of the beholder (VW).

The thing that gets me about this car is, the aerodynamics+weight allow it to have such a simple fuel sipping diesel. At the same time, to get to that weight you're using a chassis that's adding an addittional $10,000-15,000+ to the car (minumum). I understand the concept, but what happens when you wreck or get a dent in a panel? Astronomical price repairs.

 

[bhtooefr]

Well, a few years after the original 1-Liter Car was shown, I decided that I wanted that car, but not for that money, and I was going to make my own.

It is possible to achieve the weight target of the 1-Liter, sticking with a steel chassis, and aluminum and fiberglass construction. (For that matter, the Messerschmitt KR200 beat it by a lot, and it was a steel unibody.) The trick is that you give up safety.

 

[VWConvert]

Honestly though, a full aluminum/CF body with reinforced steel bars would be just as safe and weigh comprobably the same or less due to the weight savings. I think most of the weight these days comes from the interior of new cars. People want all this crap and fancy computers to do all the work, and large heavy electric/heated seats.

Just take a nice ergonomic set of lightweight recliner seats, add some really nice sexy covers on them with memory foam padding or something, and viola! 10-16 lb seats a piece w/ out having to spend $600-2000 on a set of Sparko/Momo racing seats or whatever one wishes to go with. There are such simple weight savings most car manufacturers are overlooking these days. One improvement I am liking to see though is the new CF roof panels and trunk latches (Honda CXZ or w/e it's called). Why are more engines not being manufactured out of CGI, the weight savings are HUGE! and it's not necessarily that much more expensive. 70% stronger, stiffer, and 25% better thermal fatigue ratings. Practically the same price to produce with a 18-22% weight reduction on most engines.

 

[Ralphy]

Why not a pneumatic mode of hybridation?

http://www.gizmag.com/air-hybrid-vehicles-could-cut-fuel-consumption-in-half/17810/

Simpler, cheaper, lighter and no need for rare earth/metal. Could be easier too to capture waste heat of the combustion engine by sending it in the closed-circuit gas, adding free pressure to the system...

http://www.gizmag.com/chrysler-announces-development-of-hydraulic-hybrid-technology-for-cars/17686/

 

[NachtRitter]

Hopefully we'll get there eventually, but both diesel and hybrid electric/ICE have been well proven in roadgoing vehicles, and the VW will be selling some of the XL1s to real users. Sounds like the pneumatic approach is still in research stage.

 

[TomB]

http://www.greencar.com/articles/vws-xl1-diesel-plug-hybrid-concept-achieves-261-mpg.php

Here is 261 MPG in a the Hybrid.

 

[bhutchins]

an e-mail I recieved:
_____________________________________________________________

Here's a car that will get you back and forth to work on the cheap.......
$600 for the car. 258 miles per gallon... Only a one seater however
Talk about cheap transportation....... Volkswagen's $600 car gets 258 mpg --




It looks like Ford, Chrysler and GM missed the boat again!

China launches $600 car that will get 258mpg

This $600 car is no toy and is ready to be released​

in China next year.

The single seater aero car totes VW (Volkswagen) branding.

Volkswagen did a lot of very highly protected testing​

of this car in Germany, but it was not announced until now​

where the car would make it's first appearance.

The car was introduced at the VW stockholders meeting as the most economical car in the world is presented.

The initial objective of the prototype was to prove that 1 liter of fuel could deliver 100 kilos of travel.​

​

Spartan interior doesn't sacrifice safety

The aero design proved essential to getting the desired result.​

The body is 3.47 meters long and just 1.25 meters wide,​

and a little over a meter high.​

The prototype was made completely of carbon fiber​

and is not painted to save weight.

The power plant is a one cylinder diesel​

positioned ahead of the rear axle and combined​

with an automatic shift controlled by a knob in the interior.

Safety was not compromised as the impact and roll-over protection is comparable to the GT racing cars.

The Most Economic Car in the World will be on sale next year:

Better than Electric Car – 258 miles/gallon:​

IPO 2010 in Shanghai This is a single seated car

From conception to production:​

3 years and the company is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany ...

Will be selling for 4000 Yuan, equivalent to US$ 600...

Gas tank capacity = 1.7 gallons

Speed = 62 – 74.6 Miles/hour

Fuel efficiency = 258 miles/gallon

Travel distance with a full tank = 404 miles

​

 

[TDIMeister]

Unsubstantiated, unvetted info. So, it's 2011. Where's this $600 wonder?

 

[bhtooefr]

IIRC, that car cost well over $1,000,000 to build.

 

[TDIMeister]

Don't underestimate what the Chinese can copy and sell cheaply.

 

[Claudio]

the license plate on these pictures seems made with photoshop

 

[bhtooefr]

Nope, that's the real plate.

 

[TDIMeister]

The car is real, the China story is a fake, a fabrication, an Internet/Email urban legend.

 

[oxford_guy]

The carbon fiber alone would cost more than $600.

 

[HeAvYfUeL]

Volkswagen debut new 39g/km CO2 diesel hybrid

http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk...volkswagen-debut-new-39gkm-co2-diesel-hybrid/

 

[brucetmoose]

what 189 mpg's means to me

VW cannot get this car to me fast enough ( the L1 concept )

I drive an average of 37,500 miles a year - and it would be a lot more if I got 189 mpg's - or even 100 mpg's.

 

[bhtooefr]

You do realize that this has been superseded once again by the (much bigger, side-by-side, PHEV, 261 mpUSg of diesel on the Euro cycle on a full battery, about 121 mpUSg on a flat battery) XL1, right?

(That said, I'm planning out something similar to this, with a 654 cc parallel twin diesel that I have.)

 

[DickSilver]

Lots of people (Not just Americans) buy their transportation based on their biggest cargo and passenger needs. There needs to be a new mindset, that will take time to achieve. Buy a car that meets your daily needs - commuting, whatever. That will probably be a 50 to 100 mpg vehicle, maybe a TDI or TDI-electric plug-in hybrid. Maybe a plug-in electric. Then consider various ways of meeting your occasional needs:
Rent an SUV or camper once in a while.
Keep a cargo trailer that your daily car can tow.
Use public transportation for vacation trips.

 

[TRONZ]

Buy a car that meets your daily needs

Done!

 

[mrspindlelegs]

VW XL1 Hybrid to enter production in 2013

If the Carbuzz website is to be believed, the Volkswagen XL1 Hybrid will begin production in 2013.

http://carbuzz.com/news/2011/11/1/Volkswagen-XL1-Hybrid-to-Enter-Production-in-2013-7705531/

The article says a 2.0l TDI will be the diesel portion of the drivetrain. Seems awefully big to achieve the high MPG goals but the article could be in error on that detail.

Anybody have alternate news sources to confirm or deny this latest revelation?

 

[TDIMeister]

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/volkswagen-xl1-prototype-revealed-by-naked-spyshots-43494.html

 

[GoFaster]

Remarkable that they're going to do it. It's gonna be expensive, though.

 

[atc98002]

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/volkswagen-xl1-prototype-revealed-by-naked-spyshots-43494.html

I could certainly live with those performance specs. The windows appear to have a section that opens with the remainder staying closed. Kind of wierd looking. The rear also looks strange, but that may be a requirement of the aerodynamics.

Will be interesting to see what the final version looks like and how it's equiped.

 

[Ski in NC]

Like!! Big time! That's what engineers should be hired to develop, cars like that. Keep up the good work and get that bugger in the showroom.

 

[bhtooefr]

atc98002: Not the first car to have windows like that - the first thing that comes to mind is the Subaru SVX.

As for the rear, there's a reason for that - this is the ideal shape for vehicle aerodynamics (and the Kamm tail is simply the ideal shape truncated, to get most of the benefit without being absurdly long):

 

[atc98002]

atc98002: Not the first car to have windows like that - the first thing that comes to mind is the Subaru SVX.

Yeah, I knew there was a Sube, but couldn't remember the model. Thought it was funny looking there as well

 

[kjclow]

What surprises me on the spy shots is that there is no cover over the rear wheels. Seems like almost a standard feature on vehicles that are trying to get the ultimate mileage.

 

[Lightflyer1]

The rear wheels look way inset though and seems there are some attach points along the edge of the wheel well.

 

[bhtooefr]

The other thing is, I wonder if they were having snow buildup issues.