XL1 (Germany, 2011)

Volkswagen unveiled at the Qatar Motor Show 2011 prototype that delivers a combined fuel consumption of 0.9/100km, the XL1. This is a value that no other hybrid car powered by an electric motor / internal combustion engine combination has achieved yet.

The XL1 represents stage 3 of Volkswagen’s 1-litre car strategy, launched by Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch. The goal of the strategy is to produce a vehicle built for everyday use, with a fuel consumption of 1.0 litre per 100 km. With the study vehicle being presented in Qatar, CO2 emissions have been cut to 24 g/km, due to a lightweight construction, very low aerodynamic drag (Cd 0.186) and a plug-in hybrid system, which consists 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 XL1 prototype can be driven in pure electric mode for about 35 km thanks to its plug-in hybrid system, in this case producing zero emissions. The battery can be charged from a conventional household electric outlet and Volkswagen has also included battery regeneration with the recovery of energy while the car is slowing down. In this case the electric motor acts as an electric generator as this energy is stored in the battery for re-use.

As opposed to the tandem arrangement seen in both the first 1-litre car presented in 2002 and the L1 presented in 2009, the XL1 has incorporated side by side seating. In order to make it easier to enter and exit the car, the XL1 has been fitted with wing doors. Volkswagen has also used a technique borrowed from Formula 1 car construction, the use of body parts made of carbon fibre reinforced polymer parts (CFRP). The German brand also achieved significant reductions in production costs, which would make a limited production of the XL1 viable.