Volkswagen 1-litre car

Volkswagen 1-litre car

IAA 2009 Volkswagen presents a study of a one-litre-car. The Volkswagen 1-litre car, also known as the 1L, also known as the L1, is a two-person diesel hybrid concept car produced by Volkswagen.

The 1-litre car was designed to be both roadworthy and practical, while being able to travel 100 km on 1 litre of gasoline (equivalent to 235 miles per U.S. gallon or 282 mpg Imperial). This stems from the International System of Units unit of fuel efficiency, which is the number of litres of fuel required to travel 100 kilometers.

To achieve such economy, it is produced with lightweight materials, a streamlined body and an engine and transmission designed and tuned for economy. A prototype was displayed in 2002 and limited production of the VW 1L is expected to start in 2010.

The second edition Volkswagen L1, released at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, has a curb weight of 381 kg (840 lbs.), coefficient of drag of 0.195, and fuel efficiency of 1.38 L/100 km (170 mpg) with CO2 emissions of 39 g/km.

It uses one half of a 1.6-litre TDI engine in a hybrid installation. The 800 cm3, twin-cylinder, common-rail, turbodiesel is joined by a 10.4 kW (14 bhp) electric motor.

The engine operates in two modes with the eco mode giving 5.2 kW (7 bhp) and sport mode 21.6 kW (29 bhp), the electric motor provides extra acceleration and can power the L1 on its own for short distances.

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 s.