DailyTech - "314 MPG" Volkswagen XL1 Confirmed for Production

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Auto "314 MPG" Volkswagen XL1 Confirmed for Production
Tiffany Kaiser - February 21, 2013 11:15 AM

65 comment(s) - last by aguilpa1.. on Feb 26 at 3:18 PM

The car will make its appearance at the Geneva motor show in March next month

Volkswagen has confirmed its XL1 hybrid for production, which will make its appearance at the Geneva motor show next month.

The two-seat Volkswagen XL1 has a plug-in diesel hybrid system that allows it to achieve 314 MPG and 31 miles on electric power alone. The CO2 emissions sits at 21 g/km, and it is considered the most aerodynamic car with a Cd figure of 0.189. It's also very light at just 1,752 pounds.

The XL1 hybrid features a 47 bhp 0.8-litre, two-cylinder diesel engine with a 27 bhp electric motor and 5.5 kWh battery pack. According to VW, the XL1 can go from 0-62 MPH in 12.7 seconds with a top speed of 98 MPH.

The XL1 also has some other interesting features, such as a design that completely covers the rear wheels to reduce drag; a pair of rear-facing mirrors on the side of the car instead of door mirrors; wing doors that swivel upwards and forwards, and slightly offset seats for the most interior space possible.

As mentioned, the XL1 is very light at just 1,752 pounds because it is mainly made of carbon monocoque. Aluminum is used on the suspension and dampers as well as ceramic for the brakes and magnesium wheels.

A price has not been confirmed yet, but some reports say the XL1 could cost as much as £70,000 ($107,000 USD). The car will make its appearance at the Geneva motor show in March next month.

Source: Autocar

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RE: Wait what?

By Johnmcl7 on 2/21/2013 12:32:17 PM , Rating: 3

I was puzzled by that as well but I'm guessing the car had rear facing cameras instead of wing mirrors with screens inside as a small camera would significantly reduce drag compared to a mirror.

John

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RE: Wait what?

By bah12 on 2/21/2013 12:49:46 PM , Rating: 2

Probably correct, but DT doesn't believe in edit buttons on the articles either. So even if Tiffany acknowledges the typo, they still won't fix it.

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RE: Wait what?

By Trisped on 2/21/2013 2:10:34 PM , Rating: 2

I checked the source link and the DT link in the article and neither mention mirrors or cameras.

From the images it looks like they have cameras mounted mid way down on the door. Since these only protrude a small amount compared to traditional mirrors the reduction in air resistance would be noticeable.

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