| Diesel-electric VW Gets 261 MPG | ||||
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Volkswagen Mad scientists have shot a bullet-shaped diesel-electric plug-in hybrid that gets an impressive 261 miles per gallon. VW says it is the most fuel efficient hybrid ever, and shows what is possible when you let your engineers run wild. It is a supreme irony that the Germans XL1 introduce the concept vehicle in Qatar Motor Show this week. The automobile, the last of the ongoing experiments in organization with the ultra-efficient vehicles, born of the straightforward question: “So perhaps the energy consumption of cars will be decreased if all stops had been pulled out of efficiency? ” This is a question Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech Dr. posed to their engineers for practically a decade, and one of the automakers worldwide are trying to solve, as compared to the adjustment fuel and emission regulations. Pi?ch challenged his team to develop a automobile capable of going 100 kilometers on one liter of fuel – the equivalent of 235 miles per gallon. VW has been on it since then, resulting concepts in stellar fuel economy, but the practicality much less-than-stellar. The XL1 is the newest project, which was most likely want to live and the much more likely that production. “When the new millennium opened, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piech made the visionary goal of bringing to market a production car that was practical for everyday use with a fuel consumption of 1 liters per 100 km, “the business said in a statement. “In the new XL1, Volkswagen is demonstrating that this objective is within our reach.” Volkswagen XL1 is the most practical and refined automobile called a 1 liter. First, the Volkswagen 1 liter was a tandem two-seater that looked a bit like a Tylenol. It was a technological marvel when it appeared in 2002, with a lot of carbon fiber, magnesium and other exotic materials. Power came from a small diesel engine very good for 235 miles per gallon. Efficient, yes, but totally unworkable, due to the fact it was absurdly high-priced. Even so, Piech is hoped that the cost of technologies and exotic supplies displayed, fall, and suggested that the automobile could see production by 2012. Then came the VW L1 concept car, a final step when it was released in 2009. It was a lot more refined, with a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain. Was slightly larger than 1 liter, with a lot more power, higher performance and higher amplitude. It was so futuristic, but still a bold redefinition of “self.” It was excellent for 1.38 liters per 100 km, reaching 170.4 miles per gallon. VW said the L1 emits only 36 grams per kilometer of carbon dioxide. For the sake of comparison, the 2010 Toyota Prius emits 89 g / km. And now we come to the XL1. One coolest thing about this automobile is the powertrain. The diesel-electric combo a 2-cylinder TDI engine with a displacement of only .8 liters. Essentially the firm is cutting ubiquitous 1.6-liter on average, and is bolted to a gearbox seven-speed DSG. The engine is good for 48 horsepower and 88 lb.-ft. of torque. Sports electrical transmission 20 kW (27 hp) electric motor that draws power from a lithium ion battery of unknown size. It is a plug-in hybrid, VW says the XL1 can go 35 kilometers (21 miles) of electricity alone. This combination offers remarkable efficiency. Fuel economy is linked to .9 liters per 100 kilometers, which amounts to 261 miles per gallon at the math. The emissions are just 24 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Most notably, VW says the 1,700 pounds XL1 can fly at 62 mph in just 8.4 horsepower. That’s about half of what the Golf TDI needed. With electricity, the vehicle needs less than .1 kilowatt-hour to go a mile. Stomp on it and the electric motor helps the diesel engine in accelerating, and VW says that the XL1 do zero to 60 in 11.9 seconds. Top speed is limited to 100 kilometers per hour. XL1 was unlike his brothers, offering seats side by side, a nod to a far more habitable. It also has proper doors instead of glass as a jet. It is still made of a high-tech material, including carbon fiber parts polymer attached to a carbon fiber monocoque Formula 1-style. That is pricey, but VW says it is making progress in decreasing the cost via a patented manufacturing method called advanced transfer molding resin. Overall the automobile weighs a initial-generation Honda CR-X HF weighed. There are a lot of aluminum in the carbon fiber body, which includes suspension components, brake calipers, shock absorbers and other components. Also tasty are carbon fiber roll bars, ceramic brake discs and magnesium wheels. This is a super-slick car with a drag coefficient of .186 and a frontal region of 1.5 square meters. That makes it more aerodynamic than the General Motors EV1, but not as slippery as 2e Aptera Motors. The vehicle is 12.7 feet lengthy and 5.4 feet wide, about the size of a VW Polo. Is only three.7 meters tall – about the exact same as the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Volkswagen has long hinted he could see a automobile based on a 1-liter model to dealers and said something on the basis of the Concept shown L1 2009 could be offered in 2013. But it appears unlikely we’ll see something like this automobile in the short term given the exotic (and expensive) materials and flamboyant style (which, frankly, we love). More likely that we will see some of the technologies underpinning the XL1 in production models as VW, like everyone else, he hastens to improve the fuel efficiency of its range. Следующие материалы:
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