Volkswagen XL1

First Look
As per the industry experts and market analysts a steep rise in fuel prices due to the fast drying up sources, the demand for smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles will shoot up. To meet the situation, Volkswagen has made a decent effort, dubbed the 1L 100km car aka L1 which has been earlier unveiled at the 42nd Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Volkswagen AG in Hamburg as the most economical car ever. Volkswagen XL1 has also been unveiled lately at Qatar motor show.

The vehicle was driven to Hamburg from the company’s headquarters at an average fuel consumption of 0.89 liters per 100 kilometers. In order to achieve this astonishing fuel economy the car uses lightweight components, an efficient powertrain and great aerodynamics. The car was first unveiled in April 2002 and is expected to be commercially available by 2013. The car can achieve a top speed of about 160kms/h and has an actual fuel economy of 1.38 l /100kms.

What’s New?
The L1 does not have doors. The driver and passengers get into the VW L1 through an electronically actuated canopy like in a fighter jet. The L1’s headlights and taillights are made with LEDs that help save energy. The car uses cameras and electronic displays in place of rear view mirrors. The rear-wheels are completely covered and are close together to allow a streamlined body. Carbon fiber reinforced plastic for the production of the body reduces the weight to merely 380kgs and increases fuel economy to a greater extant. The car has a tandem seating arrangement for two instead of side by side.

What has been refreshed?
Since its reveal in 2002, the car has gone through considerable changes. In order to make it more fuel efficient, the weight of the vehicle has been drastically cut. On the other, fuel economy has been boosted and top speed has also been increased from 158km/h to 161kh/h.

The Machine
The car has a TDI, E-motor and 7-speed DSG located at the rear. The power source is a two-cylinder turbo-diesel with common rail direct injection. It is operated in two different modes viz. Eco mode and Sports mode, depending on the load. In the ECO mode, the 800 cm3 TDI develops a power of 20 kW (at 4,000 rpm) in the Sport mode, which is also the top speed mode; car’s power is 29 kW (at 4,000 rpm). The TDI’s maximum torque is 100 Newton-meter (at 1,900 rpm). The L1 has a Stop-Start system that shuts down the engine when vehicle has stopped and restarts when the accelerator is pressed.
The E-motor runs on a lithium-ion battery. An electronic power control module (130 Volts) manages the flow of high voltage energy to the battery and to the E-motor .The vehicle’s low voltage electrical system is supplied through a 12 volt DC/DC converter. The body and frame have a crush/crumple zone and roll-over protection included in the design and the tandem seating helps provide large side crush zones. Volkswagen claims protection comparable to a GT racing car. The production version is believed to have anti-lock brakes, airbags with pressure sensors, and stability control.

What’s good?
In this age of rocketing fuel prices, concept cars like the L1 are the need of the hour and L1 seems to appear at the right time. It claims to be a safe car with an aluminum crash structure in front and the driver and passenger are safely protected in a carbon fiber safety cell with head and side-curtain airbags. The L1 has a unique sporty look unlike anything else on the road. The design of the L1 redefines classic and aesthetic vehicle traits, says Walter d’silva, head of design for the VW Group. The L1 is an environment friendly car emitting just 36 grams per kilometer of carbon dioxide.

What’s not so good?
Being a small car, there is some speculation about the safety levels car but as it’s been mentioned that L1 has ample features catering to patient safety. In case of an accident, it’s less energy to dissipate. It’s less likely to get into an accident for the simple reason that the road is very wide for this car.

Price and availability
This latest version of the L1 is more production ready than its predecessors. The car is expected to be ready for production by 2013. The pricing is still not available but there are rumors that it might cost around $30,000

Wrap up
At a time when worries over the oil and gas prices are increasing and fears of their resources stopping to ooze them out can come true anytime soon, this effort from the VW can increase their availability for a longer time. This will not only herald a new era of small, compact yet fuel efficient cars but will also fuel the race to produce cars that uses least fuel and that’s certainly going to be a win-win situation for humanity.