The VW XL1
 

From Autopia and Wired.com comes one of the very latest articles on the VW XL1, dated 5/23/13. It's a nice write-up with lots of good photos included.

Driving Volkswagen's 261-MPG Diesel-Electric Supercar Spacepod | Autopia | Wired.com

Thank you! Also posted in this thread: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...y-25024-2.html

A cool vehicle, no doubt. I'm really not as impressed by the weight aspect as the author though. The new Mistubishi Mirage is the same weight, and doesn't make use of tons of exotic materials, just some high strength steel. Its getting really good crash test ratings too. The rest of the XL1 is pretty awesome though.

Interesting comparison... most specs (weight, hp, acceleration) are similar, but the XL1 costs ~10x more and uses ~20% of the fuel.

FTM, the 1st-gen Insight weighs about 100 lbs less... And even that's half again as much as this: Ariel Atom to get even lighter thanks to new titanium chassis - SlashGear

This SAE article indicates that the XL1 is 1753 lbs dry, so lighter than the Mirage:Hyper-efficient VW XL1 drives to production. Not sure where the ~1900 lbs figure is sourced from in the Wired article; I've seen the 795kg (aka 1753 lbs) figure mentioned in a few different sources.

The Atom is pretty impressive, though probably not a daily driver for most folks... :)

Real world testing; VW US 260 mpg claim to Automobile magazine observed 160 mpg average. Porsche sports car performance with hyrid fuel economy but also Porsche pricing. Build your own. 2014 Volkswagen XL1 First Drive - Automobile Magazine

How much for a DIY XL1? :)

http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/f...ps40312b47.jpg
http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/f...pse03440ad.jpg

90% fuel tank and driver @ 65 kg would be around 150 lbs

In the EU official weight is including fuel and average (*) driver.


(*) 65 kg is likely not very average anymore though ...

I'm not sure 74 hp in a 1750 lb car could be considered Porsche performance, especially considering the wheel width of the XL1 is quite skinny to improve rolling resistance. Still an amazing car though...

That is almost exactly the same weight and power of my first car; a '85 1300 CC Honda Civic. I'd love to have a 100+ mpg version of that, especially if I could get it 7 years old for less than $2000 like that Civic.:eek::thumbup::turtle::cool:

Well I am building just that with my Tigon diesel hybrid project so once I am done I will let you know :) My estimates initially were around 13K but I have a feeling like with all estimates its a bit low so it very well could end up costing 16K if I am not careful with the electric components! The diesel only will definitely be under 10K and that is with a new diesel engine and most all new parts under the hood!

However this is a far cry cheaper than the VW XL1 and cheaper than any other production diesel electric hybrid.

The way I am designing mine is also much simpler than the XR3 and will look much cooler in my opinion. You could put it together much faster as well since once I get the prototype complete I will be able to reproduce the engine mounts and flywheel adapter among other custom parts to make it much easier on the DIY builder who wants to replicate Tigon.

I will also be able to offer complete hybrid drivetrains ready to drop in no parts sourcing and no fabrication just drop it in and bolt it down with the motor mounts just source your Triumph Spitfire or GT6 rolling chassis and I can take care of the rest. The XR3 has a fair amount of welding and machine work involved which tends to keep novice builders from completion.

Tigon will have none of those headaches as your rolling chassis, suspension, and steering is all ready complete once you find a suitable Spit or GT6. Just replace the parts that need it such as new shocks and bushings etc. and your rolling chassis is done. This is often the hardest part of a kit car btw! Most people never get to that point and if they do they most likely finish it! So with Tigon I will make it easy to get to the rolling chassis stage with minimal fuss so you have much better chances of getting it completed. Just simply bolt on all the parts the design and fabrication labor of love will be all ready done. All the custom parts you will be able to get from me at a very fair price to get more Tigons on the road for ecomodders to enjoy and flip off all the gas stations passing by :thumbup:

I hate going to the freakin gas stations and throwing my money away it is one of my greatest pet peeves and one of my greatest motivators for completing Tigon. I can not weight for cars like the VW XL1 to make it to our shores let alone be affordable. I also would like to see a better simpler diesel hybrid designed car. One in which the average guy could obtain and or complete with normal tools found in any garage.

So stay tuned

GH

Jalopnik drives the XL1: We Drove The 261 MPG Volkswagen XL1 In Manhattan Because You Can't

would like to see VW do a low-cost version. Same 2 cylinder TDI with a 6 speed, no hybrid drive, no CF. I would bet that better than 100 mpg would still be easy and it should cost under 25K.

If you want DIY then look here.
Kinetic Vehicles
Builder of the Mother earth news max car. Gets 100+ mpg with IDI engine and uses off the shelf parts.

Its Diesel only no hybrid system. I talked to Jack McCornack designer and builder and he said for the cost and added weight it was not worth the money for the estimated mpg increase of a hybrid system. With a little more R&D it could easily be made into a more practical daily driver.