·
Engineers
in Germany used new construction techniques and a hybrid drive-train to create
the lightweight, fuel efficient car XL1
does 300 MILES to the gallon.
.
·
Volkswagen
XL1 emits 24 g/km of carbon dioxide and is as large as a Polo but as
low and streamlined as a Lamborghini.
·
Only
250 of the cars have been made, they are being sold for €111,000
(£92,490) - and there is no right-hand-drive version available.
·
Car manufacturers have long sought to create incredibly efficient
cars to save motorists money and help the environment.
·
And now engineers at Volkswagen are selling what they claim is the
world’s most fuel efficient production car, which can do a staggering 313 miles
per gallon.
·
The Volkswagen XL1 ‘super efficient vehicle’ features new
construction techniques, an innovative futuristic-looking body and hybrid
drive-train to dramatically increase fuel economy.
·
The two-seat diesel-electric hybrid car emits 24 g/km of carbon
dioxide, which the German auto manufacturer says sets a new benchmark for
vehicle efficiency.
·
The car's fuel efficiency of 313 miles per gallon compares
favourably with Toyota's Prius, which typically does 44mpg in city driving
conditions and Ford's Fiesta, which does 31mpg on average.
·
In theory, it could be driven from the centre of London to the
outskirts of Edinburgh in a straight line, using just one gallon of fuel.
·
The XL1 was designed from scratch and is lightweight as some steel
components, including the chassis, have been replaced by carbon fibre so that
the car weighs in at just 795kg.
·
The edgy design is intended to reduce drag and it features
‘scissor doors’ which were famously featured in the DeLorean DMC-12, used
in the Back to the Future films.
·
To achieve the target fuel consumption figure the XL1 was
aerodynamically optimised, adopting a classic ‘tear drop’ shape and using innovations
such as removing traditional wing mirrors and replacing them with small cameras
called e-Mirrors, which transmit exterior images to interior displays.
Volkswagen’s car measures almost four metres long and 1.7metres
wide, making it similar in size to the VW Polo, yet it is just 1.2metres tall,
making it a similar height to a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.
It is powered by a compact
800 cc two-cylinder diesel engine and together with the 20kW electric motor, it
car can travel over 600 miles on a single tank of fuel.
The model gets its name from the car’s European fuel efficiency
rating and was originally designed to use less than one litre of fuel per 100km
– the equivalent of 282mpg – although it now exceeds this.
In pure electric mode, the
XL1 can travel up to 35km before the diesel engine cuts in.
The car can go from
0-60mph in 11.9 seconds and its electronically limited top speed is 99 mph.
The XL1 is manufactured - in left-hand drive only - at Volkswagen’s
Osnabrück factory in Germany, which also produces the Golf Cabriolet and
Porsche Boxster.
Unlike these cars, the XL1
is ‘handcrafted’ using small series production processes and is being sold in
Germany for €111,000 (£92,490).
Around a dozen vehicles to
be made available to UK customers, Volkswagen told MailOnline.
Only 250 of the XL1 cars
been made, with a total of 200,000 available for sale, as 50 of the vehicles
were pre-production models.
VOLKSWAGEN XL1
SPEC
The car can do 313 miles
per gallon.
It combines new
construction techniques, a super aerodynamic design and a hybrid-drive train to
be so fuel efficient.
The two-seat
diesel-electric hybrid car emits 24 g/km of carbon dioxide.
It weighs in at just 795kg
and has 'scissor doors'
It measures almost four
metres long, 1.7metres wide and just 1.2metres tall.
It is powered by a compact
800 cc two-cylinder diesel engine and together with the 20kW electric motor.
In pure electric mode, the
XL1 can travel up to 35km before the diesel engine cuts in.
The car can go from
0-60mph in 11.9 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 99mph
Just 200 of the cars are
on sale and cost €111,000 (£92,490) as they are hand crafted.
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