Ultra efficient cars are already a reality
By Naveen Victor | Motor Trader Malaysia –
Building vehicles that can travel 100km on just 1 litre of fuel used to be a dream but that isn't the case anymore.
Every one of us, no matter how fuel-efficient the car, want every drop of fuel to last even longer. Many want a car that can do the impossible – take us to the moon and back without consuming a drop of fuel. While that is still impossible unless you take the electric route, the internal combustion engine is still capable of being more efficient than ever.
The dream of having to visit the petrol station once a month is no longer just a dream. That's because Volkswagen has brought the future back to the present. Enter the Volkswagen XL1, also known as the One-Litre car. It has been called that because with just 0.9 litres of fuel (RM1.73), the teardrop shaped VW can cover a distance of 100km.
Calling the car amazing would be an understatement, but that's just what it is – an automotive masterpiece. The car has been built from the ground up with just one criteria in mind - be the most efficient vehicle possible. Through the use of lightweight material and clever engineering, the XL1 weighs a mere 795kg and sports a drag coefficient of just 0.189. As such, the car is able to cut cleanly through the air like a hot knife through butter.
Like the rest of the car, the powertrain features a super frugal system that blends electricity with good ol' fashioned diesel power. The diesel engine is an 800cc two-pot mill with 50bhp, which is assisted by a 27bhp electric motor. They are mated to a seven-speed dual clutch (DSG) gearbox that sends power to the rear wheels. Though regarded as a dual clutch, in total, the XL1 has three clutches – two in the gearbox and one between the engine and motor.
On a calm summer's day, the XL1 needs only summon 8 of its conservative horses to maintain a steady speed of 100km/h, and by doing so, returns a fuel consumption figure of 133km/L. Being a diesel-hybrid, the XL1 can travel on pure electricity for 50km, thanks in part to the 5.5kWh lithium ion battery pack.
As ground breaking as the XL1 is, it wasn't VW's first stab at a 1-litre car but is considered the third iteration. Unveiled in 2011 and put into limited scale production in 2013, the XL1 is one of the most efficient cars on the planet and provides a glimpse of what we could be driving a few decades down the road.
Only 250 XL1s will be built and will cost US$146,000 a pop. Limited to European customers, VW will begin delivering the one-litre car during the second quarter of this year.
The XL1 is still ludicrously expensive but as the technology becomes cheaper, cars like it will become a common sight on public roads, but until then, if you want to save fuel, then get a hybrid or a diesel powered car.
| Reply via web post | • | Reply to sender | • | Reply to group | • | Start a New Topic | • | Messages in this topic (1) |
" Anda masih mencari jodoh? Lawati http://www.myjodoh.net"
" Kertas Soalan Ramalan Matematik 2010 : http://maths-catch.com/exam"
" Kedai Maya : http://halawahenterprise.blogspot.com/"
" Blog Sahabat RG : http://azwandengkil.blogspot.com"
Terima kasih kerana sudi bersama kami. Untuk mendapatkan maklumat lanjut tentang ReSpeKs Group, sila ke : http://respeks-group.blogspot.com.
Segala email yang tersiar melalui Respeks Group adalah tanggungjawab penulis asal email. Owner atau moderator tidak bertanggungjawab ke atas setiap email yang disiarkan dan sebarang dakwa dakwi tiada kena mengena dengan moderator group.
No comments:
Post a Comment