The World’s Most Fuel Efficient Car: 285 MPG, Not A Hybrid
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This is what a team of engineers can do when challenged to push the limits of fuel efficiency and technology. You may have already heard of VW’s 1-liter car, but take a closer look. It’s a sports-economy concept car produced a few years ago by VW engineers, to answer one big question: could they build a car that consumes less than 3 liters of fuel for every 100 km traveled?
It turns out they could, but they didn’t stop there. Instead, VW blew by that goal to create a car that uses only 1 liter of fuel for every 100 km. That’s 285 MPG.
To accomplish such a feat, VW’s engineers had to go back to the drawing board and start from scratch. They knew that fuel efficiency depends on aerodynamics and weight, so they created a bullet-shaped, ultra-lightweight (640 lbs) carbon-fiber car powered by a new, completely redesigned diesel engine. To save more weight, they didn’t even paint it:
Proper aerodynamics were key to the low fuel consumption. VW engineers knew they needed a small frontal area. This led to its unusually narrow, bullet-shaped body where the passenger sits behind the driver. As well, the car features an aircraft-like canopy, enclosed rear wheels, special flat carbon-fibre front wheel covers, and an aerodynamic underpan. Even the side cooling air inlets only open when the engine needs cooling, and otherwise stay closed. . .the 1-Litre-Car has an amazingly low coefficient of drag of 0.16 (a typical car has a drag coefficient of approximately 0.30 ).
Everything in the car was made out of lightweight carbon-fiber or magnesium, gears were hollowed, and bolts were made from titanium. Like the electric Aptera Typ1 that I wrote about earlier, the VW 1L was designed without side mirrors (too much drag), instead relying on internal video screens to guide the driver. And also like the Aptera, safety was of particular concern:
Despite its small size and light weight, Volkswagen says the 1-Litre-Car is as safe as a GT sports car registered for racing. With the aid of computer crash simulations, the car was designed with built-in crash tubes, pressure sensors for airbag control, and front crumple zones. Its aluminum fuel tank is located in a protected area behind the passengers. As well, the 1-Litre-Car includes ABS and ESP (electronic stability program).
The existence of the VW 1-Liter car suggests the possibility of drastically reducing our vehicle fuel consumption without any major advances in technology. You probably won’t ever see the VW 1-Liter on the road, but don’t think something like this will never come to the market. You’ll see Aptera’s electric and plug-in hybrids within the next year, and they look like spaceships too.
Addendum: VW’s 1L car will be released in 2010!
Related Posts on Green Car Technology:
Affordable Electric Cars Coming to US in 2009
Mercedes 40-MPG Diesel Hybrid: Cleanest SUV on the Planet
Tesla Motors Sues Fisker Automotive Over Electric Car Design
Aptera’s $26,000 Electric Car and 300 MPG Hybrid Coming Soon
Subaru STI: Is Diesel the Intersection of Power and Fuel Economy?
376.59 MPG Car Found In Museum (It Was Built In 1959)
Source:
CanadianDriver (Jun. 5, 2002): Feature: VW 1-Litre-Car
Volkswagen UK
Photo Credit: Canadian Driver
I read on another website, can’t remember that the price is less than 8k usd, ? i wonder if they will stay at this price? aptera was thinking a while back that there cars would run at 18k now it’s just below 30k.
what vw needs to keep in mind is the target audience wants an affordable car with good gas mileage. anything above 10k and they will have to understand that the public will probably be seriously pressed to look at over vehicles despite the mpg.
For 8k I would buy, anything above most likely not.
hats off to volkswagon.
“To you yank morons who are complaining about the car “being 235 mpg not 285 mpg”, an IMPERIAL gallon is larger than a US gallon, so both calculations are correct!”
To all you idiots who can’t do calculations, even with an imperial gallon it is only 282.5 miles per gallon. Do the gas stations in commonwealth countries even pump gas in gallons anymore?
Shut your face.
and if you’d bothered to check the backgrounds of the writers
“Corvallis, Oregon”,
“Dartmouth College”,
“Illinois”, and
“San Francisco, CA”
are not locations where the imperial gallon would be used.
Would this be a direct drive vehicle? What kind of pressure and where would one obtain it for practical usage?Thanks
Chuck
Is the VW 1L going to be offered in the U. S. ?
If so, any idea when? If it is not for sale in the U. S. Then we will build our own version. I ‘m ready to buy it, If I fit in it. I am 6′o” and 200lbs.
Cut the bullshit, whats the price and is it comming out? Or is this another bullshit concept car? How does it compete vs Aptera, tesla, and other alternative cars?
WELL, IT IS A BLESSING IN DISGUISE I GUESS THAT THE DIRTY AND FILTHY ARABS WHO ARE MORE WEALTHY THAN MOST OF US IMAGINE TO BE, AND THEY STILL APPARENTLY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY BECAUSE THEY’RE SO GREEDY FOR THEM TO PUT US IN THIS POSITION TO ‘READJUST’ OURSELVES AND CREATE WAYS TO ELIMINATE OIL FROM OUR LIVES. OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE SITTING ON MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF OIL SINCE THEY’RE APPARENTLY NOT THAT BRIGHT AS A PEOPLE TO CONCEIVE OR CREATE SOMETHING FOR THE PROGRESSION OF MANKIND AS A WHOLE AND MAKE THEIR FORTUNES FROM WHATEVER THAT ENDEAVOR MIGHT BE. THEY REMIND ME OF TURDS OF HUMAN WASTE WRAPPED IN THE FINEST SILKS.
how much is this car?
Is it approved to drive in the US?
and where can I buy one????????
I am so waiting for cars like these to hit the road. I am also waiting for the day when city-only cars will be the norm. When the top speed of cars for the city will only be 10 mph above the speed limit will we get rid of the speed demons and the aggressive zig-zaggers. But alas, electric cars are coming and pound for pound they are just as fast as the cars we have today.
The European gallon is different than the US gallon. There are 4.5 liters to the European gallon vs 3.8 liters to the US gallon. That explains the higher MPG.