VW XL1 production version gallery

[ctgottapee]

Originally Posted by sendler

112 mpgUS is great in itself. Why go around saying it is 260 if it is really 112? I have seen articles in the newspaper claiming 350 mpg for the Volt. You drive for "free" untill the battery runs out. When the engine starts you drive another 100 feet and then pull up to the pump. See, I just got 350 mpgUS.

Considering that you are not using gallons, there really is no good way to give a measurement for all people.

You can get those equivalent mpg's cost wise only using battery, even higher.

[Occasionally6]

This car (the XL1) is so disappointing. Not because of what it is, that is fantastic, but because of what it could have been. The original concept was for a much smaller tandem (1 1/2) seat 250kg vehicle and this is what ends up in production; 850kg with conventional side by side seating and much larger in size.

It looks like it has been filtered through a number of pre-production clinics, with the sample groups rejecting the original concept because it didn't match what they think a car is. It does nothing to change social perceptions of cars and serves only to develop technology to do more of the same thing, just better. It would be much more laudable if the original car been produced "as is".

[euromodder]

It still has to be sort of useful though - see the Vetter challenges.

If it only had to be light and fuel efficient, they could have put a 2 cylinder diesel in an Ariel Atom chassis and cover it in cling film ...

Giving it a sporty look will help VW sell it @ a ridiculous price.

Being a TDi, it essentially continues the existing pollution problems, rather than solving it.

[nackerton]

Originally Posted by euromodder

Being a TDi, it essentially continues the existing pollution problems, rather than solving it.

What do you mean? With that ridiculously low fuel consumption it will be hard to create much emissions (NOx, PM etc)

[NeilBlanchard]

This is the best writeup I have seen on the VW XL1:

Green Car Congress: XL1 dive and drive: Volkswagen aggressively optimizes for efficiency in its sleek diesel plug-in hybrid

Comparison of the L1 concept prototype and the XL1:


This is good to hear:

Coasting at higher speeds is noticeably different than in other vehicles—with its very low coefficient of drag, the XL1 feels as if it is slipping through the air, not battering its way ahead.

But I am unhappy to read this:

The brake regeneration strategy is very aggressive. Unlike the e-Golf, for example, which uses its paddle shifters to allow the driver to click through three different settings for regen (earlier post), XL1 goes for as much energy as it can get, every time."]The brake regeneration strategy is very aggressive. Unlike the e-Golf, for example, which uses its paddle shifters to allow the driver to click through three different settings for regen (earlier post), XL1 goes for as much energy as it can get, every time.

[Jyden]

@Niel ""The brake regeneration strategy is very aggressive."" That not bad. because you just use that for breakes, and the breakes for when you relly want to stop NOW!

So pulse and glide, and glide and break regenerate, and then Breake.

Having driven the Peugeot Ion, it works very well, and adjusting your driving style, the normal breakte are not much in use.

[some_other_dave]

Jyden, that's not what you want for pulse and glide. You want to glide as long as possible, and aggressive regen will drastically lower your glide distances.

Then you wind up losing all of the inefficiencies that go from converting momentum into battery power, and those involved in converting that power back into momentum again the next time you pulse.

It'd be better to "free-wheel" the glide, losing as little speed as possible.

-soD

[Jyden]

Originally Posted by some_other_dave

Jyden, that's not what you want for pulse and glide. You want to glide as long as possible, and aggressive regen will drastically lower your glide distances.

It'd be better to "free-wheel" the glide, losing as little speed as possible.

-soD

On the Ion the regen only sets in when you touch the brakepedel. Otherwise you just put it in neutal and glide.
Left in drive and no gas, just a mild regen sets in..

So glide must be in neutral for best milage.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Occasionally6

This car (the XL1) is so disappointing. Not because of what it is, that is fantastic, but because of what it could have been. The original concept was for a much smaller tandem (1 1/2) seat 250kg vehicle and this is what ends up in production; 850kg with conventional side by side seating and much larger in size.
.

What I don't get is why it needs to be 60+ inches wide, unless that is only in one small area of the oval, my fathers kei car which is 48" is more than enough to seat 2 people side by side.

[NeilBlanchard]

The XL1 is the lowest CdA of any "production car" - the frontal area is just 1.5 square meters (16.146 sq ft), and the Cd is 0.189, so the CdA is 0.2835 sq m (3.05 sq ft). The tandem seating is a big compromise, and the the staggered side by side allows the 5.5kWh battery pack to be located in front of the passenger; which reduces the frontal area vs a location under the seats.

The side by side seats are quite close together, and the passenger's seat is angled slightly to get it closer to the diver's seat; and the offset allows the shoulder room to be much better than otherwise.