Volkswagen is redefining the automobile with the L1, a bullet-shaped diesel hybrid that weighs less than 900 pounds, gets an amazing 170 mpg and might see production within four years.
The L1 concept car unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show pushes the boundaries of vehicle design and draws more inspiration from gliders than conventional automobiles. The only question the company’s engineers asked when designing the L1 was, “How would a car have to look and be built to consume as little energy as possible.” Their answer was small, light and extremely aerodynamic. Those guidelines led to a car that requires just 1.38 liters of diesel fuel to go 100 kilometers. The concept of a one-liter car is that it consumes one liter of fuel per 100km, or about 235mpg. However, the L1’s 1.38 l/100km is closer to 170mpg. Impressive nonetheless.
Electric motors provide great torque, and VW says the motor in the L1 kicks in under hard acceleration to provide up to 40 percent more grunt. It also can propel the car on its own, though VW doesn’t say how far the L1 will go on electricity alone. VW also didn’t offer any specs on the lithium-ion battery, which gets a boost from regenerative braking.
I think VW is coming out on top in this race to a “green car”. I can not wait to see what GMC and other America companies will do to compete with this badass. I think this will give the extra push to everyone else to design a green car.
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