Eco Factor: Low-emission concept car runs on a diesel/electric hybrid engine.
Volkswagen has announced that the company will unveil the updated version of its 1-liter concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The lightweight car is supposed to drive 170 miles on a gallon of fuel. Powered by a diesel/electric hybrid engine the car could make it to the streets by 2013.
The car was initially announced seven years ago, and became the first car to travel a total of 100km on a single liter of fuel. However, the high cost of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, which was used for the bodywork, kept the car away from the manufacturing line at that time.
The 2-seater L1 will weigh just 800lbs and will carry glider-like seating – one seat behind the other. The carbon-fiber reinforced plastic bodywork will be complimented by a special chassis made of aluminum.
The L1 comes with a two-cylinder rail-injected TDI, an electric motor and a 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox, which are located towards the rear. Apart from offering 170mpg, the engine will only emit 36gm/km of CO2. The 10KW electric motor can propel the L1 over a short distance by itself and also acts as a generator to recharge the car’s built-in lithium-ion battery pack by harnessing braking energy.
Via: Gas2
