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Cars > Volkswagen > Volkswagen XL1 Concept 2011

 By Ketan Patel View Comments

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Volkswagen XL1 Concept 2011

The all-new Volkswagen XL1 SEV Concept was unveiled at the Qatar Auto Show 2011. With the low kerb weight of 795 kg and about 75 PS total power output (48 PS from diesel engine and 27 PS from electric motor), the XL1 aims to have 313 mpg!! In pure electric mode the XL1 can travel up to 35 km before the diesel engine cuts in.  Accelerating from rest to 62 mph can be achieved in 11.9 seconds; the electronically limited top speed is 99 mph.Impressive!!!

The new Volkswagen XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle (SEV) has been unveiled at the Qatar Motor Show.  Pioneering construction techniques, an advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain and innovative packaging all play a part in allowing the XL1 to return 313 mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 24 g/km of CO2to set a new benchmark for vehicle efficiency.

Powering the XL1 is a compact 800 cc TDI two-cylinder common rail diesel engine developing 48 PS.  It’s linked to an electric motor producing 27 PS, resulting in a total of 75 PS – a modest output yet more than enough when the low kerb weight (795 kg) of the vehicle is taken into account.

The TDI engine is linked to an electric motor and a seven-speed DSG gearbox with an automatic clutch mounted between each unit.  The electric motor can either work independently of the TDI engine or in tandem when accelerating.  In pure electric mode the XL1 can travel up to 35 km before the diesel engine cuts in.  Accelerating from rest to 62 mph can be achieved in 11.9 seconds; the electronically limited top speed is 99 mph.

In both its styling and packaging the XL1 draws on lessons learned from the 1-Litre car (2002) and the L1 concept (2009).  The XL1 has evolved to feature staggered seating with the driver and passenger placed next to each other in a body structure made from advanced new materials providing immense strength yet weighing just 230 kg.

To make such weight savings possible, and yet viable for series production, Volkswagen developed and patented a new system for the manufacture of the Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) parts on the car called the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) process.

In total the XL1 weighs 795 kg.  In addition to the body structure, the weight is accounted for by the drivetrain (227 kg), the running gear (153 kg), the interior including a pair of bucket seats (80 kg) and the electrical system (105 kg).  In total just 23.2 per cent of the car (184 kg) is made out of either steel or iron.

Further savings are made through the extensive use of lightweight materials including magnesium (wheels), ceramics (brake discs) and aluminium (dampers, steering system, brake calipers).

The styling of the XL1 is borne out of functional requirements – easy access to the interior is granted via a pair of elegant scissor doors that hinge on the A-pillar while the profile of the car has been honed in the wind tunnel, the result being a remarkable coefficient of drag figure of 0.186.  The XL1’s overall length (3,970 mm) and width (1,682 mm) are similar to those of a Volkswagen Polo yet its height (1,184 mm) is more akin to that of a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder.

Although the XL1 is still very much a concept, its unveiling marks the next step towards the birth of a new class of Super Efficient Vehicles, while the advent of a process such as RTM is a significant milestone.

Evolution of Volkswagen’s Super Efficient Vehicle class: technical data

  XL1 (2011) L1 (2009) 1-Litre (2002)
Body      
Construction method CFRP monocoque and add-on parts Aluminium and CFRP Magnesium and carbon fibre
Dimensions:
length, mm
width, mm
height, mm
wheelbase, mm

3,888
1,665
1,156
2,224

3,813
1,200
1,143
n/a

3,470
1,250
1,000
2,205
       
Drive system      
Type Plug-in hybrid
Rear-wheel drive
Plug-in hybrid
Rear-wheel drive
Diesel
Rear-wheel drive
Internal combustion engine TDI, two-cylinder
800 cc
35 kW / 48 PS, 120 Nm
TDI, two-cylinder
800 cc
39 PS, 100 Nm
Single cylinder
299 cc
8.5 PS, 18.4 Nm
Electric motor 20 kW / 27 PS, 100 Nm 10 kW / 14 PS n/a
Gearbox 7-speed DSG 7-speed DSG 6-speed automated
Battery Lithium-ion Lithium-ion n/a
Emissions class Euro 6 Euro 6 n/a
       
Weight      
Kerb weight 795 kg 380 kg 290 kg
       
Performance / fuel economy      
Top speed, km/h 160 (electronically
limited)
160 (electronically limited) n/a
0-100 km/h, secs 11.9 14.3 n/a
Fuel consumption,
l/100 km / mpg
(Ø NEDC)
0.9 / 313 1.38 / 189 0.99 / 285
CO2 emissions, g/km
(Ø NEDC)
24 36 n/a
Range: E-drive 35 km n/a n/a
Range: TDI + E-drive approx. 550 km
(10 litre fuel tank)
670 km
(10 litre fuel tank)

650 km
(6.5 litre fuel tank)

Wolfsburg / Doha, 25 January 2011 - Future mobility is one of the most stimulating topics of our time. The key question here: Just how much could the energy consumption of cars be reduced if all the stops were pulled out for efficiency? There is now an answer to this question, and Volkswagen is delivering it in the form of the new XL1. Combined fuel consumption: 0.9 l/100 km. No other hybrid car powered by an electric motor / internal combustion engine combination is more fuel efficient. The prototype will be unveiled in a world debut at the Qatar Motor Show (26 - 29 January).

To the point

Conceptually, the XL1 represents the third evolutionary stage of Volkswagen’s 1-litre car strategy. When the new millennium was ushered in, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, who is today Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, formulated the visionary goal of bringing to the market a production car that was practical for everyday use with a fuel consumption of 1.0 litre per 100 km. In the new XL1, Volkswagen is demonstrating that this goal is now within reach.

The new Volkswagen XL1 attains a CO2 emissions value of 24 g/km, thanks to a combination of lightweight construction (monocoque and add-on parts made of carbon fibre), very low aerodynamic drag (Cd 0.186) and a plug-in hybrid system - consisting of a two cylinder TDI engine (35 kW / 48 PS), E-motor (20 kW / 27 PS), 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DSG) and lithium-ion battery. The results: with fuel consumption of 0.9 l/100 km, the new Volkswagen XL1 only emits 24 g/km CO2. Since it is designed as a plug-in hybrid, the XL1 prototype can also be driven for up to 35 kilometres in pure electric mode, i.e. with zero emissions at point of use. The battery can be charged from a conventional household electric outlet. Naturally, battery regeneration is also employed to recover energy while slowing down and store as much of it as possible in the battery for re-use. In this case, the electric motor acts as an electric generator.

Despite the very high levels of efficiency, developers were able to design a body layout that offers greater everyday practicality, incorporating side by side seating rather than the tandem arrangement seen in both the first 1-litre car presented in 2002 and the L1 presented in 2009. In the new XL1, wing doors make it easier to enter and exit the car. Further progress has been made by manufacturing body parts from carbon fibre reinforced polymer parts (CFRP), a technique used in Formula 1 car construction. Once again, Volkswagen has successfully achieved significant reductions in production costs– an important step forward to make viable a limited production run of the XL1. Background: together with suppliers, Volkswagen has developed and patented a new system for CFRP production in what is known as the aRTM process (advanced Resin Transfer Moulding).

Volkswagen XL1 Concept 2011

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