Volkswagen 1-litre car
Encyclopedia
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Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
concept car
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
produced by Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
. The 1-litre car was designed to be able to travel 100 km on 1 litre of diesel fuel, (equivalent to 235 miles per U.S.
United States customary units
United States customary units are a system of measurements commonly used in the United States. Many U.S. units are virtually identical to their imperial counterparts, but the U.S. customary system developed from English units used in the British Empire before the system of imperial units was...
gallon
Gallon
The gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
or 282 mpg Imperial), while being both roadworthy and practical. 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 and in 2011 as the XL1 (see below).
1-litre car (2002)
The prototype VW 1-Litre concept car was shown to the public in April 2002 when Dr. Ferdinand PiechFerdinand Piëch
Ferdinand Karl Piëch is an Austrian business magnate, engineer and executive who is currently the chairman of the supervisory board of Volkswagen Group....
, then Chairman of the Board of Management, drove the concept between Wolfsburg and Hamburg as part of the Volkswagen annual meeting of stockholders.
Size and aerodynamics
For aerodynamics, the car seats two in tandemTandem
Tandem is an arrangement where a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction....
, 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
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
and frontal area are small (see drag equation
Drag equation
In fluid dynamics, the drag equation is a practical formula used to calculate the force of drag experienced by an object due to movement through a fully enclosing fluid....
). The drag coefficient
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
(Cd) is 0.159, 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 1.1 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.
Materials
For light weight, the car uses an unpainted carbon fibre skin over a magnesiumMagnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
-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).
Engine and drive system
The engine is a one-cylinder 299 cc diesel producing just 6.3 kW. 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 hybridMild Hybrid
Mild hybrids are essentially conventional fossil-fuel vehicles equipped with a large electric machine allowing the engine to be turned off whenever the car is coasting, braking, or stopped, yet restart quickly...
design.
Fuel consumption and range
According to Volkswagen, the vehicle consumes 0.99 L/100 km; giving it a 650 km (404 mi) driving range using its 6.5 l (1.7 US gal) fuel tank.Safety
The body and frame are designed with crush/crumple zoneCrumple zone
The crumple zone is a structural feature mainly of automobiles. Crumple zones have also been incorporated into railcars in recent years.They are designed to absorb the energy from the impact during an accident by controlled deformation. This energy is much higher than is commonly recognized...
s 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
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
, airbags with pressure sensors, and stability control
Electronic stability control
Electronic stability control is a computerized technology that may potentially improve the safety of a vehicle's stability by detecting and minimizing skids. When ESC detects loss of steering control, it automatically applies the brakes to help "steer" the vehicle where the driver intends to go...
. Volkswagen approved a limited production by 2010. However, production has been delayed until 2013. but was never released to the public.
L1 (2009)
The second Volkswagen 1-litre car, named L1, was first shown to the public at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. 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.Design
The L1 continues the two-seater tandem concept first shown in the 2002 1-litre concept. It has a curb weightCurb weight
Curb weight or kerb weight is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables , a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other...
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.
Engine and drive system
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 electric motor and has a CO2 emission 39g/km. The engine operates in two modes with the eco mode giving 20 kW and sport mode 21.6 kW the electric motor provides extra acceleration and can power the L1 on its own for short distances. 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 sSecond
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
.
L1 (China 2011 rumor)
In June 2010, reports circulated 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".XL1 (2011)
The XL1 is the third iteration of the Volkswagen 1-litre car, unveiled at the 2011 Qatar Motor ShowQatar Motor Show
Qatar Motor Show is an annual international motor show held in Doha, Qatar. It debuted on January 26, 2011 at the Doha Exhibitions Centre. It will feature new 2011 models as well as supercars, concept cars, custom cars from style centers and automotive designers. Outdoor demonstrations of motocross...
. The diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
plug-in hybrid prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
is branded as a "Super Efficient Vehicle" (SEV).
Engine and drive system
According to Volkswagen, the XL1 can achieve a combined fuel consumptionFuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....
of 0.9 L/100 km and CO2
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
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 (21.7 mi) on electric power.
Design
The XL1 has a curb weightCurb weight
Curb weight or kerb weight is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables , a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other...
of 795 kg (1,752.7 lb), and a drag coefficient
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
of 0.186 (a similar drag coefficient to the General Motors EV1
General Motors EV1
The General Motors EV1 was an electric car produced and leased by the General Motors Corporation from 1996 to 1999. It was the first mass-produced and purpose-designed electric vehicle of the modern era from a major automaker, and the first GM car designed to be an electric vehicle from the...
electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
). In total just 23.2% of the car (184 kg (405.7 lb)) is made out of either steel or iron with the drivetrain weighing 227 kg (500.4 lb). The XL1's length and width are similar to the Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
, with a length of 3970 mm (156.3 in) and width of 1682 mm (66.2 in). However, the car is much lower with a height of only 1184 mm (46.6 in), and has a coupe-like roofline, reducing interior volume. The design incorporates gull-wing doors, with the interior seating layout using a staggered side-by-side arrangement similar to a Smart Fortwo
Smart Fortwo
The Smart Fortwo is a rear-engined two-seater city car manufactured by Smart GmbH, introduced at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as the Smart City Coupé, and currently in its second generation...
, 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
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
.